Cleburne's Cafeteria was absolutely outstanding! Everything we ordered was fresh, hot, and full of flavor. The chicken fried chicken with cream gravy was one of the best I've had, the fried catfish was perfectly crispy, and the mac and cheese was rich and delicious. Even the fresh fruit and apple pie were excellent. Beyond the amazing food, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and very clean. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. It's the kind of place where you can tell they genuinely care about both the food and the customer experience. If you're looking for a great home-style meal with exceptional service, I highly recommend Cleburne's Cafeteria. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything I got was phenomenal! The best comfort food in Texas! Everyone is very attentive and friendly, always ready to help. I couldn't recommend Cleburne enough! Loved seeing all the history from the very beginning on display. If you go you HAVE to try the blueberry cake! It is my favorite!! read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Historically significant. Excellent food as you can see from the reviews. So I'll just post photos. My default ? Lemon cod, tabouli, coconut pie. The fried chicken is not good enough to recommend. As you will see, George M., the manager did respond to my comment. And I thank him for his response. (Though I was amused by how he phrased his response). Keep in mind. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Cleburne. I grew up in a Houston with Picadilly, Weldon's, Brittain's, Luby's, Wyatt's and more. Cafeterias in the 50's and 60's were an important way for families to dine out economically, and go to for the Sunday after church dinner. I visit Cleburne as often as possible, and my wife and I still reminisce about the matriarch at the register who could calculate everyone's bill in her head as they showed up to pay. Such wonderful memories. But as a person who has done fried chicken for decades, creating The Fried Chicken Blog (www.thefriedchickenblog.com) to document the fried chicken picnics in the German Czech communities of central Texas, and having fun with many different fried chicken recipes, I read his response about his chicken being one of the "best in the country," with amusement; so I will leave it up to you. Look at the photo of the dry, fried chicken on JUne 15, 2026, and then compare it to the photo I have just added for what I think fried chicken would look like at the best places (One example would be Barbecue Inn on Crosstimbers). There are some tricks to fried chicken. That is, once you decide on which traditional method you choose to go with. Example of one such: The batter of course, where you add a little moisture into the flour before the dipping and frying so that pieces of the wetted flour clump and will be picked up. Getting back to the Cleburne recipe. My guess is that this is one of the classic Southern, dredge in flour and pan fry, but not a buttermilk soak, dip, dredge, redip, dredge, fry method. This one is more akin to the classic skillet fry method and a simpler flour coating (I'm guessing). Which can be really good. But for me, I'd say, pass on the fried chicken and go for one of their other entrees. read more

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This place is great! It is a cafeteria style place. The workers are so helpful and the portions are large. Come hungry. I had the chicken fried steak, and it was solid. The vegetable sides were good. The bathrooms and kitchen were clean. There was plenty of parking and places to sit inside. read more

I drove 16 miles to have lunch at Cleburne's ... WHY? Why was my turkey $19.00... why didnt I get cranberry sauce?? Why was my turkey DRY.. and even drier when heated it.. Sorry Cleburne's.. Not driving back read more

Oh my goodness ! This place is amazing. It is a next level Piccadilly and great portion sizes. More on expensive side but very worth it. They come to tables offering to go boxes and refills on drinks as well. You go through line and pay for everything. Then you immediately take everything off trays for staff to collect. They have been going for 80+ years and had some signs to suggest they were featured on GMA! read more

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Homely and hearty food. Service and atmosphere: The service was outstanding. Everyone was very friendly and super helpful. The staff was offering to carry food to the table. The restaurant is big, clean and well organised. Food and drinks: The food was very tasty and delicious. They offer home made style dishes with great variety of meats, vegetables, salads and desserts. I had turkey. The meat was very succulent and well cooked. I would recommend salad with cheek peas and feta cheese. You can opt for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Pricing: $$ - super worth it! read more

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A historic cafeteria that is also family owned. The service here is one of the best I ever seen, because during lunch time most of their customer are elderly coming here by the bus load. So they have staff members at the line area and will come up to you to help with the tray of you can not do it yourself. One of the lady offer to help me and I had her help me bring my tray to the register then to a booth. Later, there is a staff member pushing a cart with water or other drink refill on it and to-go box. I go the fried chicken as that what I feel like to eat that day but they have so many good entree here. I will come back and try them all. I also got the cut watermelons here and they really good you a good amount of it. read more

Lovely banana pudding - the best I've had in Texas so far. The wafers and the vanilla pudding paired perfectly, the pudding so SO creamy! We love Cleburne every time we go, and it has become a staple in our family. Baked chicken was cooked perfectly, and the chickpea salad was refreshing and a delicious pairing. The staff behind the counter were so nice and very helpful! It really seemed like a family operated business. Going back to my table I felt like I was a part of the community, the atmosphere was so welcoming. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Baked chicken, banana pudding, chickpea salad, and an iced tea. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Having been here a few times years ago the level of inconsistency has me discouraged and kind of over ever returning but recently found myself nearby and hungry I thought what the heck it just opened. Well let me say I don't know if it's new ownership or just now paying attention to detail but my visit this time was a lot different. We got the turkey a salmon and both were very good. Lines move fast the workers very friendly and only gripe was the mashed potatoes as gravy had no flavor an were kind of runny. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I went to Cleburne Cafeteria with a group of friends who reserved a room for a quick gathering. That was on a Wednesday and the restaurant was about half filled during the dinnertime. I was surprised that I drove by here thousands of times and never knew such wonderful restaurant existed. According to a friend, this restaurant started 1940's. I know that's not his age, but he is more knowledgeable to the history in Houston than me. The portions appear to be huge but it's a perception because the dishes are too small. Everything was overfilled. They look kind of disgusting to me actually. They look like my fat belly spilling over my belt. Ugh. The prices were good, though. I ordered Chicken Dumplings ($10.79) and Kale Salad ($4.25). The bill only came out $16.29 with tax. I love the flavor of the dishes, however, they didn't look appealing as they overfilled everything. I also liked the way they serve drinks. There were water no ice, water with ice and iced tea on the drink counter. I couldn't take a picture because an old hangry man standing behind me like I slowed him down in the line, while there were just us 2 in the line. lol I think I would pay a special visit to come back during lunchtime to check out other dishes. Maybe I'll bring a friend or two. read more

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I was recommended Cleburne Cafeteria as a Houston institution serving Luby's style cafeteria food. Pros: + excellent service - the employees helped move our trays along the serving line and then to our table as we juggled a kid + lots of customers, which is good to keep food varied and fresh in cafeteria setting + so many options that you may not commonly have at other restaurants like green bean casserole, plenty of healthy vegetable options, comfort foods Cons: - maybe they cater to the senior population, but food is not as well seasoned as I'd like - roast beef was tough and chewy. I had a bite of my friend's and she abandoned it - chicken fried chicken wasn't that flavorful or crispy - a bit expensive - parking lot was a bit of a nightmare and took ten minutes to get a spot Much of the crowd seemed like they got out of church dressed in Sunday best, and I suspect many are regulars. I enjoyed my visit to such a historic restaurant and the community. I think it's a nice Houstonian gem for southern comfort cafeteria food that will accommodate most food preferences but temper your expectations on the food. read more

Expensive but delicious hot food. Great service. I like the cart lady refilling drinks and passing out takeout containers. We visit this cafeteria every time we visit Houston. read more

It took me three visits to finally get the chicken and dumplings but they were absolutely worth the trouble. There aren't many places in Houston that serve chicken and dumplings and I was dead set on getting some. Only available on Tuesday but absolutely DELICIOUS read more

My second time! I came back because I never stopped thinking about that fried chicken. Its a long drive for me but worth it completely . They have the best fried chicken. Lots of delicious options and everything is fresh! The service is excellent. I didn't need help but a lady insisted on taking my tray to find my family and I a table so I could continue to pay. She insisted and that was a great touch. Always someone coming around with a cart of necessities from refills, to go plates and more! Genius idea for a great experience l. Restaurant is beautiful and they outdoor seating was ideal for a very large family. I didn't even mention the giant salad bar and desserts! read more

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Having been around for a LONG time, Cleburne Cafeteria has the process and recipes down pat! You walk in, step up and grab a tray, try not to be overwhelmed with the options and home-cooked smells, and start ordering. I have to order fried okra and I usually order other side dishes/veggies. Their mashed potatoes are great and you can pick brown or cream gravy. The rolls and cornbread are fresh and hot. Then you slide your tray down to the dessert selection. Then, pick your beverage. They have iced water, water with no ice, iced tea, and a soda fountain. Checkout and pay, then go find a seat. The helpful staff will help you carry your (by now heavy) tray to your table. They have staff available picking up trays, refilling your drinks, providing extra plates or silverware, butter, lemons, whatever you may need! Great service and delicious home-cooked food!!! read more

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The experience was great . We had a large party of Family and the food and the service was amazing.. We are from California and we will be back again. read more

First visit on a visit home to Houston. I had never heard of this place until living out of state. This is a really nice Cafeteria. It reminds us of the Wyatt's Cafeteria we had growing up in Pasadena. The building itself is really nice and you enter into a nice spacious lobby with a history timeline of the restaurant on one wall and paintings by one of the longtime owners around the other walls. You begin your journey by choosing whether or not you would like a salad before choosing your entree. Tonight we chose one of the daily specials, Beef Stroganoff ($14.95) which was really tasty. We also chose the Chicken Fried Steak with White Cream Gravy ($13.95). We ordered more sides than we needed so we had lots to take home. We ordered Macaroni & Cheese ($4.25), Squash Casserole ($4.45) , Bowl of Fruit ($4.45), Deviled Eggs ($3.95), Greek Salad($4.25), Bowl of Vegetable Soup ($5.99), slice of Apple Pie ($5.45), Slice of Strawberry Cream Cake ($6.45), dinner roll ($1.15). They had staff members walking around refilling drinks and checking on us throughout our meal. All of the staff members looked professional and polished and were very helpful. This was an excellent experience all around. The restrooms were very clean and fresh too. While we ordered much too much food due to our excitement over how amazing everything looked, smelled and tasted...we had plenty to bring home to eat again over the next couple of days. This is a restaurant that we recommend and will be excited to experience again on our future visits. There is nothing that I would not order again! read more

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12/2/2025: I like cafeterias. I was raised on them with my grandparents, so they hold a special memory for my taste buds. Cleburne definitely has great service and large portions, but I wasn't crazy about the food. My fish, casserole, mushrooms, and tea were $25.89! Yes, the portions are large, but they were so large I could not finish them and I had plans after, so I could not take my leftovers. I wouldn't have anyway because they would heat well. So, for my money side, I was not impressed. The fish is not even close to being as good as Luby's, the casserole was made with fresh green beans, so it was a little firm, and the mushroom were a little lacking in flavor. They don't have a lot of options like other cafeterias. It was very basic on the sides options. They have okra, but it is not fried okra. I wasn't impressed, so I am giving them 3 stars. read more

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great atmosphere , HUGE portion sizes of super yummy food! will def come back if given the chance! read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great food with outstanding service. We travel regularly from Katy to enjoy their great food!

I see this place pop up randomly on my feed from time to time. I am a fan of Luby's cafeteria fried chicken, so is this place was somewhat similar? I didn't know what to expect. While I did see the Yelp reviews beforehand I chose to dismiss them because Luby's overall doesn't have raving reviews and I love their fried chicken, value, and price. Parking at CC is easy. Walking in the place was clean overall and the line had quite a bit of people for a Sunday night. For a cafeteria style restaurant - I was a bit taken back at the all the ala cart pricing. There were basically no combo style meals. So 1 dish can easily get you to almost $20! The fried chicken wasn't overall good. I think it may have been over cooked. The mashed potatoes were good but pricy for the ala cart side. Now I'm sure I'm not their main demographic - as it looked like people over the age of 60 loved this place. But if I'm comparing this place to Luby's fried chicken, Luby's is better and much better value. Customer service on the other hand was excellent. The line help was great and moving, the table runners were cleaning and refilling waters. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Fried Chicken & Mashed Potatoes - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great home style food- consistent and tasty. Love the turkey and dressing! Fried okra and broccoli rice casserole are favs too! Food use to be bland but they've added more salt and spices. Good for families, kids and us old timers . Desserts are huge so are the portions! Tea cart comes around to serve you refills and to-go containers. Helpers available to assist your tray to a table or to push the high chair to the dining table. read more

The portions and prices are a travesty. $21 for a 6 inch plank of cod?? I'd rather buy an 18 inch long plank of salmon for that price at Costco and cook it myself. $5 for a small plate of green beans?? GTFOH. I implore everybody to go to Luby's instead, where the value and the taste of their food is better. Cleburne's honestly has the worst Chicken Fried Steak I've ever had in Houston. I swear, whoever does the cooking here has long COVID cause there's like no flavor in ANYTHING here. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Pitiful portion of green beans for $5. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

I took the vegan option a Mexican cokemy flexitarian friend enjoyed a chicken fried steak the staff was helpful the food was tasty. One those places that has changed much and become an o institution read more

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Turkey and dressing! Amazing!!!! Green pea salad!!!! Brought back memories!!!! Tapioca!!! Just like mommas read more

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Everything is always fresh and cooked to perfection and the service is always excellent

Easy five star review! I'm shocked I haven't reviewed this legendary place as I have been coming here for 20 years. 20 years ago when I worked at bubbles car wash, the owner would come by and give us all gift cards for Christmas. What a nice gesture! I never forgot that! Food: the food is simply amazing. The fried fish has been my go to for years. The Mac and cheese is good. So are the sweet potato casserole was great! The corn bread is top notch. Now that slice of pineapple cake was simply amazing ! My gf loved her salmon. This is a top notch establishment serving up excellent food with great customer service! I will forever be a client and bring friends, family and clients here forever. Thank you all for being a houston staple ! read more

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First time to visit. The food and service were excellent. Restrooms were modern and clean. Nice window views. Well lit. Good serving sizes. They have a banner hanging that they appeared on GMA. Large parking lot. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Baked white fish, pea salad, Fresh Leaf Spinach, pecan pie, Texas toast - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

I visited Cleburne Cafeteria at the recommendation of others. We were first charged $120 for: 2 orders of catfish, 1 order of fries, 1 order of shrimp & fries, 1 Mac n cheese, 2 sides of yam, 3 rolls, 1 pink lemonade and 1 fruit punch. I was later given a refund of $14 because there was a communication error with their staff. I was mistakenly charged for 2 orders of shrimp instead of one. no big deal. They corrected it. The actual servers were really sweet. When I spoke again with the friends that referred us, they suggested I check to make sure I wasn't accidentally charged for something else or someone else's In addition to ours because the price was much higher than they normally pay for similar meal sizes. I called and explained the situation to a lady who told me that her name was Sheila. She asked me for the last 4 of the card that I used so she could find the transaction. I provided her with it. She asked me to repeat my order so that she could add the price of the items. She told me that the total should have been $87 and that I could bring my card back up there. They would check the cameras to verify order and we could go from there. I was quite pleased with that response. Since I live 40 min away. I didn't want to drive back there if I could just submit proof of my transaction along with pics that I took of the food. I didn't really care about a Refund at this point. I just really wanted to know if that was the regular price or if I had indeed been overcharged. That would help me know what to expect in the event I ever decided to return. When I called back to ask" Sheila" for her email, I was connected to a woman who said that she was Sheila, the manager, and the only Sheila. She sharply told me that she hadn't spoken to me, let alone anyone else that morning. Her tone was rude and off putting, but I continued on. I calmly repeated all of the same information that I had given to the lady who I will call "Sheila 1". I couldn't finish a sentence without this Sheila telling me what couldn't have happened. She disputed that I had talked to anyone earlier ( just 10 min before) , she said that nobody there would have itemized the items and given me a total over the phone . She Was just outright disrespectful and rude. When she continued to raise her voice and speak to me in a condescending tone, I told her "don't worry about it. I'll just post it on my social media". She nastily told me to "go ahead and Do it! My low review is not for the waitstaff. It is for Sheila, the manager and how she handled a genuinely harmless question. It's not about the money. it's the principle. If she talks to the staff with held as much vitriol as she displayed in that short time with me, I know they are miserable. Update: I did post a google review. Again, instead of leading with honesty, she ( or the owner) decided to lie and double down on their reply. I wouldn't recommend anyone spending money with them. They cannot professionally handle questions or honest, constructive feedback. Take your money somewhere else where the food will be seasoned and mgmt actually cares about their customers. read more

I have heard about this place for years but never had the chance to try it until yesterday. I should have just stayed away. They are supposedly famous for their chicken fried steak. More like chicken fried shoe leather. It was cold and tasteless. And I was shocked that my few choices were over $30 for my meal. I think I would rather spend my money somewhere else where I actually get waited on. Sorry Cleburnes. Not sorry read more

Very good cafeteria with huge portions. The spaces are very clean. Staff was very helpful and friendly. We will be back.

Since we could not go get lunch Sunday after church, we agreed to meet today. I got the baked catfish with dressing just like her. It was very delicious and spicy. I also got the spinach and chocolate ice box pie. They were good. I remember when Cleburne used to be on Waugh Dr and West Dallas. As a teen, we would go there to eat. The food has always been great! Ten stars. read more

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This is one of the best cafeterias I have ever been to. I have a handful of times but I've never written a review. We decided to give this place a try on Thanksgiving. Despite waiting in line for three hours the food was fresh and delicious. I went with a group of people and I am the only one who is a vegetarian. This place has options galore for vegetarians. You're ever in the need of a veggie fix and want good quality cafeteria food give this place a try. read more

Food is super expensive and everything lacks salt/flavor (probably intentional due to the senior clientele). Blandness is very akin to hospital food where they don't add salt bc some patients are on a low sodium diet. Chicken fried steak is SUPER chewy and the gravy tastes like creamy water. Mashed potatoes also have 0 salt. I think the best thing here was some side stewed bean dish. That being said you come here for the vibes, it's like visiting a Luby's in its prime with worse food. Service is weird I tipped at the register after going through the cafeteria line and asked one of the water/waitress(?) ladies for some hot sauce and she told me to go back to the register area to get it myself lol pro tip if u go here don't tip bc you're going to be doing all the work yourself. read more

Expensive but worth it. Always get the turkey and dressing...never disappointed! Mushrooms or broccoli rice casserole, and garlic toast to round out the meal. Always leftovers for the next day. read more

Service was wonderful! They always have great service with a smile. Always goes above and beyond

Generally great food and there's top service in the dining room. I was disappointed in my ample-sized $14 chicken fried steak: not really tenderized. A single pass through a steak cubing machine is not sufficient. (You'll still have to saw off your bites). It should undergo one step further: vigorous pounding with a serrated hammer. Prices? You can run up big good here: the serving of chicken and dumplings is $10.99. The sides are excellent generous. read more

Unfortunately this is not a good review for a Houston institution. My friends and I got to the restaurant around 7:20 p.m. we knew they close at 8:00. The assumption was they stop serving at 8:00; at 7:45 they started "pressuring" us to hurry up and leave. They continued to come around and asked if we wanted to go containers. We got to go containers and took the rest of our (expensive) cafeteria dinner to go. If they want to close down at 8:00, maybe they should stop serving earlier and/or tell the customers they want us out by 8:00. I have been eating at Cleburne my entire life. I'm very surprised by the service. The food was just o.k. considering what it cost. read more

Over priced bland food, brown lettuce, poor service. I won't be going back. A waste of $34.00 dollars for one person at lunch time.