Excellent food especially the steaks. The dessert station is hard as there are many items to choose from!

Fresh made and always generous portions. The staff is always there for you. Would definitely recommend.

I was surprised to find the quality of food, actually pretty good for a cafeteria style restaurant. Plenty of good options to suit everyone, including nice sides and desserts. read more

Good tasty selections of just about anything that you could want. And the staff is so nice and attentive! This is a great place to eat!!! read more

I tried this place out for the first time today and it was delicious! Seriously, everything we had was tasty. We walked in when they opened at 11am and there was already a line. The line moves quickly though and we were able to choose our food cafeteria style pretty quickly. It reminded me of a Luby's where you grab your tray and silverware and make your way down the line telling the servers what you'd like. BUT the food is light years ahead of Luby's. Seriously everything we got was good. And they had big portion sizes too. My favorites were the blackened salmon (though I would say it's more grilled than blackened. - it's not spicy at all - just well seasoned), sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top (they don't skimp on the marshmallows either), and the blueberry cake. Be prepared to take a doggy bag home. Their cake slices are bigger than my whole hand extended out. And delicious too. I could see this being a nice place to sit on the patio with my family or friends and catch up over some good food and a glass or rosé or beer. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Mr Mickelis' Cleburne's has always been the standard in cafeteria dining, good food, kind people, hard working staff, spacious parking, & an always beautiful & clean space..... Twenty years my family & I have patroned, until today. I called rather than Yelped or waiting until our next visit, to privately alert Management of the food condition since this was not a usual experience, and it was likely just a rough batch. But when I called, an employee who said her name was, "K^r3n" was impatiently snarky before I even mentioned the reason for my call. Time of call: 320pm central, March 9, 2022 Me: Hi. Yes ma'am, is there a manager on duty? Woman 1: Ummm I'll check & see if someone is in the office. A short wait later, Woman 2 (Sounds similar, but seems more rushed): "Cleburnes, this is **ren. What is it?" (I was already shocked, but proceeded...) Me: "Yes, are you the manager ma'am?" Woman2: "No. What do you want?" Me: I'm sorry to interrupt your day. It's ok, I'll just Yelp it. I hung up. That is not the usual Cleburne experience, but whomever reads this, customer or management, there was absolutely no reason to be that abrasive toward a complete stranger, especially a patron of your employer/restaurant. None. I used to spend several hundreds here, monthly, always tip over 25%, always happy to see the regular staff and patrons, but after speaking with this employee, its apparent, this is not the same Cleburne's we have grown to love. The food isn't the business. Its the people. It was the people. The food might have just been an off day. But a snarky attitude to an unknown customers call? That's a character issue. These were the food concerns (as phtotographed): *Banana Pudding - liquified. Inedible (even after refrigerating at home, for 2hours) *Roast Beef - Mushy in some spots. Tough texture in most other spots. Inedible. *Green Beans - Waterlogged. Inedible. I'm sorry to have to report this experience here rather than privately, as Celburnes is a landmark IMO, but I wasnt given the grace or mutual respect of doing so by phone. Formal letter sent to Mr. Mickelis' assistant. This is the New Cleburnes. read more

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Was disappointed with chicken fried steak. Very underseasoned. Fish was very pricey and bland. Vegetables were good but tepid temp. But dessert was great as usual. Maybe it was just an off day. Have always been happy before. read more

Best cafeteria in Houston. All food is fresh daily. Portions are huge. Most everyone will need a take home container. Yes, prices are steep but you get an extra meal from your leftovers. Desserts are huge and delicious. Service is great. Clean, well staffed, food is good equals a winning combination. read more

If you love old school cafeteria style food, this is your place. Don't forget the salt, pepper, and hot sauce however! Food is super high quality and plentiful. Like other cafeterias, they draw an older crowd and overall, the food is generally under-seasoned but it's a quick fix! The sides are incredibly rich, as are the desserts. The entrees are reliably classic goodness- it all tastes scratch made. The service is warm and friendly. The line moves quickly and the tables turn fast. Highly recommend! read more

I'll be honest - I prefer lubys. The food was, I felt slightly less in caliber than the food I would get a lubys - and it costs nearly double. An institutional mainstay in Houston; but can't justify the pricing for the food provided. read more

The coconut icebox/cream pie didn't sell me last time but got to say, it was a different experience with their chocolate mousse icebox. Double plus for the extra dollops of whipped cream they were willing to add! Although it tastes like they don't sweeten their whipped cream, I didn't mind since you can more easily add sweetness than take it away. I'm pretty sure I got the first slice of a new batch - crust was crispy, airy, and beautifully blind baked. It had that nice toasted flavor and color and that scratch made daily rustic look. As for the filling, I loved the dark chocolate flavor without it being overly sweet. It had a little of a looser structure, but I didn't mind since eating it out of my take out container made it like a delicious take on pudding. read more

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Great food, always. Went there for Christmas dinner and really enjoyed having lots of choices.

This place use to be very good about 10 years ago. I don't know what has happened but, the last few times I have been here it has not been good. For example, today I ordered catfish with hush puppies, pinto beans, and a piece of pie- $29.38. The hush puppies were so dry on the inside and sponge on the outside, I had to spit them out. The pinto beans were cold. I asked to speak to the manager and she never came out. I will take this place off the list. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Unpalatable hush puppies, cold pinto beans, and basic fried fish. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cleburne is the Luby's for the West U. / Bellaire / River Oaks crowd. Which is not to say it's not a hotspot for all kinds of Houstonians, of course, but as someone who was raised on "Kids Eat Free on Tuesdays" at Luby's, I can say for sure this is not your stereotypical cafeteria. Both times I've visited, the line has snaked through the serving area (~20-25 minutes from the entrance to where you can start ordering food). So don't come on an empty stomach or you might die of hunger before you reach sustenance. The upside is that you get a full view of what you want to order before you actually have to, so be observant and take note! No one likes indecisiveness, especially where bad options are nearly non-existent. I had never ordered salads at Luby's because none of the options really looked appealing (and the combo-style of ordering dissuaded me from the better looking side options) but since everything is "a la carte" at Cleburne, I think there's more opportunity to try things. I've ordered the greek salad, pomegranate/banana mash, and the artichoke salad - which I've all found pretty tasty and satisfying. There's also a standard lettuce mix (if you like the basics), potato salad, carrot slaw, fruit salad, citrus salad...it's just so much...! And if you thought ordering salad was tough, the entrée section will continue to test you, with 10-15 offerings a day. I usually get the baked haddock (in the style of fish almondine, like at Luby's) which is a crispy, wonderfully textural take on the classic. I hear from my dining companions that the prime rib (Sunday special) is excellent, while fried chicken and chicken fried steak came out a bit blander and drier than anticipated. I'm in search of the turkey chopped steak I see on the menu, which might also be one of those daily specials (check the website for a comprehensive list). The sides have yet to fail me, and I love to get the fresh and crisp green beans and the smiley-sweet, neon/vermilion candied yams. For those looking for more comfort than fiber, you might choose the decadent mashed potatoes topped with either brown or white gravy, or perhaps the creamy spinach casserole, or maybe the baked mac & cheese. Do note that rolls are 75 cents each, so resist the temptation if you're not gonna eat them anyway. Desserts are of a shareable size, and we've only ever tried the princess pink strawberry cake - airy and fruity. Then you pay - usually around $15 a person, if you each get an entrée and two sides or salads. The lively dining area has some service carts that will roll around to fill waters and supply utensils/to-go boxes (the waitstaff uniform looks pretty outdated/uncomfortable, so I try to be as nice to them as possible...) And there's an additional self-service area with free breadcrisps, garnishes like horseradish, pickles, and onions, and a diverse range of sauce bottles. The community experience is worth the trip, and though the food isn't 100% on point every time, it's a place that makes you feel good when you enter and keeps you like that long after you leave. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - our spread! Baked Haddock Almondine and Prime Rib as entrées - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Review 168. If you are looking for comfort food with a zillion choices, you come to the right place. A Houston cafeteria institution that has recently been rebuilt due to a fire in 2016 that consumed the building. My family and I have been coming here for decades so when I heard they were having their grand re-opening, I had to get here quick. I didn't realize it was their first week open when I went. I did score a place to park right up front. WOAH! There is parking on the left and right sides of the building and a few spots in front. There was a police officer directing traffic the day I went, however when they hype dies down I am not sure they will be one. The line was about 20-25 people deep, but it moved fast. Salads of all kinds to choose from, sides galore, all types of meat selections, infinite choices of bread and rolls and don't even get me started on the massive slices of cakes and pies. Everything looked just mouthwatering! I settled on fried chicken, yams and a fruit salad. ALL to die for! They don't call it comfort food for nothing! Although the restaurant was packed, we did score a table and there were others available too. I didn't peak around the entire restaurant so I don't know the whole new set up, but I did notice they have a nice new outdoor patio to sit and eat. There are servers that walk around to refill your drinks and such. As the servers walked around I did notice they have a beer and wine section too which I believe is new. The prices aren't chain cafeteria prices... A little bit steeper, but the food is definitely tastier. They have daily specials and if you go online ahead of time you can see them. You can also view all their food options. They also have food to go and menu items for the holidays if you are looking to entertain. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Fried chicken, yams and fruit salad! - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food is always fresh and very tasty. The service is top notch the desserts are the best. I only wish I could go every day VC

My Wife & I stopped here for lunch on 26/ October. This cafeteria was in close proximity to her Doctors office. Now to the review... this place is expensive( $50..00 ) for two trays of food, that were well below the taste level. Taste level meaning, after the meal thereshoul be a little taste on your lips, saying I enjoyed that meal. The French spaghetti was abominable I doubt my dogs would partake of it. The Chicken fried steak, had the toughness of a sole from a construction boot. Only redeeming food was the spinach salad, & green beans. Like others I read the reviews on Yelp, and if they look promising we venture1 forth. Cleburne cafeteria just did not cut it. I understand that a lot of food is being prepared for the masses, though I feel a little more quality control is needed. read more

This place was not for us. Everything was cold and over priced. Roast beef was so tough the majority of it was inedible. Big disappointment.

It's a tradition!!! Maybe people come here and never look at Luby's the same way. I love Luby's, but this place.... it's like double or triple the Luby's selection, and not only that but they have MORE! Yes I tell you, MoRE! They serve you more, and you get more for your bang for the buck! All the menu items are listed up top, excellent service! Creamed spinach was amazing - no disrespect to Boston market Mac and cheese is classic- no gimmicks Prime rib maaahh God... Blackened catfish- super delish, pairs well with green beans and rice Haddock -I tried this many ways... baked, battered, fried... lubys still wins my heart for the fried fish, but this fish cooked every other way is decent! Breaded chicken -similarly to chicken francese / classic! Stuffing -yum, no complaints here! Toast -thick, buttery and little sweet! Fruit salad -I loved the strawberries and kiwi, they even add banana! Unfortunately my list ends here.. I must return to tell you more! See you there!!! Valet park!!! It's easier that way! Buhhh lee me! Think of this like a high class Luby's! read more

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I am a big fan of the old school cafeteria style dining. Cleburne checks all the boxes for a well balanced meal with affordable prices.

Old school good ol' Southern Style home cooking'... pork chops, chicken fried chicken, roast turkey, and highly recommend the PRIME RIB!!! Pretty amazing with your choice of dozens of southern sides. A+ read more

I was really looking forward to trying Cleburne's as this place is apparently a Houston institution. I was so disappointed in the food. All of it was bland. Cole slaw: Too much mayo, no flavor Green beans: no flavor at all and some pieces were under cooked for my preference. The green beans could have been cut into smaller pieces so that they actually fit in the bowl. That would have been nice. Chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes and cream gravy: the chicken is so bland, it's really sad. The breading is not crispy at all. Mashed potatoes were okay. The gravy congealed on my plate within 5 minutes and made the dish unappealing. Dinner roll: just okay. I put butter on the roll and it didn't even melt. All of my food honestly cooled down pretty quickly so that was also a let down. Iced tea was pretty good at least The desserts looked good, but I didn't get anything. I didn't want to spend the money and was so full already. My meal was $21. Bland, unappetizing, and incredibly disappointing. I can get a flavorful meal at Luby's for half the price. Staff is nice, but my friend had to wait about 10 minutes on her turkey and dressing. She eventually got up and had to go ask for it. Seems they forgot about her. There's plenty of parking on either side. The building is nice, restrooms are clean. That's about the only positive things I can say regarding this experience. read more

Great home style cooking. Large portions. Great service. Very good selection. Consider sharing.

Quality food. Pleasant surroundings. Promot service. Never had a bad meal in decades. Far above any cafeteria and superior to many dine in service restaurants. read more

The food is good; however, it's pricey. Considering the number of senior citizens, many of whom may be on fixed incomes, who dine at Cleburne's, lower priced combo options as opposed to the all a la-carte menu would be a welcome option. read more

Great food and great service . The best cafeteria on the Southwest side.A very clean environment.

My family has dined regularly at Cleburne since we moved to Houston in the late 70s. It just keeps getting better and my kids in their 20s and 30s eat there weekly. The vegetables and salads are all made fresh every day. I can never pass up the sautéed greens and kale salad. The turkey and dressing is delicious as are the steaks. Their pies and lemon tart are the best and you can tell are made with love daily. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

This is a fantastic cafeteria! Clean and had ample seating. Great food! Vegetables are always fresh and delicious! There is always someone around to make sure you have what you need at your table. read more

It is A-ok. Good solid food. We went for thanksgiving and it was fine but it is home cooked cafeteria food. I have some limits eating so it was great to choose what I am allowed to eat. I'm just not a cafeteria guide. But all I had was very good. Spectacular....no but very good. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Nice outside patio. Gorgeous weather Christmas Eve day. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great food, very good service, nice ambiance. Love the place, safe and very clean. cozy place to share lunch or dinner with family or friends. read more

Absolutely worst experience ever from Sheila the manager. She taunted our table of eight and moved a table away. Was rude and begin to take photos and video record our group. Very unsafe space for people of color after church. The management condones the rude behavior and treatment of customers. Will not be back. The food lacks seasoning and is an overpriced version of Luby's. read more

Cleburne Cafeteria - Sheila, the manager, who took unwarranted photos of our group. - American Near Me - Houston, Texas

It's a cafeteria Literally a cafeteria haha. You grab a plastic tray. You go up to nice ladies who ask what you want. They put it on a plate or bowl and had it to you. I got the fried shrimp. It came with a TON of fries. A lot of shrimp too. I was like... ok. This is enough food for me. But then my friend was like you gotta get a couple of sides! I'm like ohh.. so I got the fried okra and the Squash (hella onions). The sides were ok - nothing eventful. Then they were like try our famous blueberry muffins ! I'm like OK! Those were also just ok.. your basic blueberry muffins. Then it was dessert time- grab a dessert too! They are GIANT desserts!!! Too giant for me as I already had a mountain of food that I couldn't tackle so I opted to skip dessert got this meal. If I went back, I'd get the fried shrimp, NO fries, and maybe something else that's not fried? I got too many fried options. It's heavy stuff. read more

This is my second time to eat here. I was not impressed the first time but thought maybe it was an off day. I gave them a second chance because of the chicken and dumplings. They served a huge portion, which is the bright spot of the experience - but they had zero flavor! They were missing any chicken flavor whatsoever. The chicken and dumplings were a huge disappointment. I had stuffing and butter beans as side dishes. The stuffing did not have any flavor either and the butter beans had real potential, but were over seasoned with pepper. I ended up eating less than half of everything, even though I was hungry. I will not be back. The taste of the food was not an anomaly the first time - it's just doesn't taste good. There are much better options to spend your money on in Houston. read more

Everything we had here was really great. I had the spinach casserole, macaroni and cheese, and deviled eggs. Everything was homemade and really delicious. My husband had the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. His looked delicious, and he assured me that it was. We shared the blueberry cream cake for dessert and it was as good as it looked. We went later in the day, around 1:30 on a Saturday and there was no line. We will definitely be back to try many more of their tasty looking food. If everything else is as good as what we had yesterday, I know I won't be disappointed. read more

1/10 food is given with the wrong utensils, I couldn't even cut my meat it was a s hard as a boot. The waitress people look at you in an ugly manner when they walk by, not to mention the absurd price of the food. $50 for a piece of garlic bread and a bit of beef. Don't waste your money go somewhere else. Ohh not to mention they give out no napkins you have to use a disgusting rag that comes with utensils. The cake feels old and chewy, nothing lite before.THE CAKE WAS OLD AND TASTED DISGUSTING!!!!!! read more

The food was awesome. Fresh, plentiful and filling. Now it's Sunday mind you, so expect a really really long wait. I believe we were in line for 45 minutes. There was still a line after we finished and we were leaving. Parking is tight. But they have valet. Also while you wait you can look at art and ready the story of the gentleman who started it all. Employees are friendly. The line does move at a steady slow pace. Everything is ala cart. And serving are large. I had the turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce. Oh you get gravy too if you want it. Stuffing was a little wet and needed some salt but eating with the turkey it's good. I also had mash potatoes, no gravy, cucumber and tomato salad, a roll and coconut cream pie. All good. The coconut pie could have a more coconut flavor and the whip topping had no flavor on its own. Half of everything went home with me for a later dinner. The drink refill cart went around but they needed another cart or two. You can get drunk refills, lemons, and to go drink cups, take home containers. We had to wait a while for her to come around to get more water. We just got up and went to her instead. Enjoy the choices and the food!! read more

I stopped for takeout turkey and dressing. I don't eat gravy so ask for extra cranberry. I was told there would be an extra charge. I added carrot salad. The turkey was dry and the carrot salad was taken from the top so it was dry also. My bill was $24.03 including $1.59 for containers. This I don't understand ... if you eat in you are offered refills on water, I'm guessing, and they pick up the dishes and wash them is that cost less than carry out containers. I politely told the cashier I would not be back ... she just looked at me. read more

My son and I had another great meal at Cleburne's tonight. The blackened salmon was cooked to perfection and the Greek salad was cold and crisp. My son had baked chicken and it was so tender that it was falling off the bone. The vegetables were fresh and not over seasoned. The ladies who work there are always friendly, helpful and polite. They also keep the restaurant spotless. The staff and the owners make everyone feel welcome. Family owned and operated, Cleburne's is the best restaurant in Houston. read more

I was disappointed in the behavior of I believe it was the kitchen manager yesterday. The only thing that I eat in this establishment is the baked chicken because of dietary reasons and it is delicious. We have been here numerous times . yesterday, the baked chicken was unusually dry, when we ordered it, there were only two in the pan on the line. I took one bite of the breast meat and realized I was not going to enjoy eating it. when I went to the line, the kitchen manager came out or the manager of the restaurant. I'm not not really sure but I told him that I wanted and a new baked chicken because it was dry. I noticed that they had six new ones in there. he said it was the same batch , and I said maybe this one is better. His reply was this. I'm going to summarize it because I don't know what Word for Word he basically said, because this was the same batch that it would taste the same and offered me something else to eat. I said no, I want the chicken he said, " I can't keep swapping out chicken to find one that you will find better." I was humiliated with that statement. I told him that was extremely rude and he said well I wasn't trying to be rude. I said I didn't say you were trying anything you either do or you don't so you your statement was rude , he did give me a new chicken brought it to the table and took it back the chicken and I will say it was better. The breast was moist. Maybe they keep the chicken in the back in a different type of environment then on the line. My son's chicken was also dry, but we didn't exchange it because he started with the dark meat. Meat he said it was unusually dry. I didn't deserve the behavior to be spoken that way as a pain customer because I wanted to exchange my chicken with another chicken and believe you me I would not have kept asking for a new chicken to find one that was moist. How insulting. I wish I got his name and he can't really call the restaurant because they don't really answer. It's always a recording. I'm going to text this into my phone and I don't feel like looking over it to see if my words are correct read more

I had heard such wonderful things, so we came in on a rainy night very excited to dine in a purported legend. Dining for 2 people was $65, which we must all agree is extreme, even with inflation. Nevertheless, we sat for dinner to discover the lemon pepper cod was hard as a rock. We told the desk agent who eventually consulted the owner. The owner's solution was to offer half of the money on the entree back ($10) since part had been eaten. They also offered a gift card, but we are not from Houston. While those are certainly reasonable solutions, it definitely seemed petty and unnecessary since most of the food on the line this evening will be stored or thrown out. What's the big problem with making sure the $65 cafeteria meal is as good as it's price? Any other restaurant would have refunded the $20. Seriously, it's all too much for 2 people to pay $65 for hard fish. Refunding the money could have made me a believer, but not today. read more