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    Goodson's Café

    3.6 (663 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Goodson's Café Photos

    Business Info

    GOODSON'S CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Goodson's Café

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    Chicken Fried Steak.  Big enough to serve your sides on.
    Jason D.

    I have been coming here since I was wee. This used to be one of the go-to spots for my family when we would go out on weekends in Tomball growing up. We had actually started going to the original building before it burned down. I do think there is quite a change in the food from the original to the newer. But still very very good. This trip three was on the way to camping at the Texas Renaissance Festival. We wanted to get a quick meal in before we went off the grid. We ended up splitting a large chicken fried steak. As you can see from the pictures, large doesn't even do it justice. It covers a whole giant oval plate, and the sides are served in bowls on top of the steak as if it were a platter itself. This thing is massive, and can feed a family of four, or two. Really hungry adults. Their biscuits are also fantastic. Highly recommend some of those to go. The mac and cheese is pretty standard. The other side that we had this time was their daily special sweet potato crumble. It was very tasty! This place was pretty packed on a Friday afternoon, so I imagine peak times are equally or more so. There's a small lot in the front and more parking in the rear. The service was pretty quick, so I appreciated that. The staff was very knowledgeable on the food, and provide great suggestions. We didn't get any dessert this time, but it did look pretty good. Something to think about if you're coming through Tomball.

    Onion rangs!!!!!!!!!!!
    Jeff S.

    It had been awhile since we hit up Goodsons so hit them up we did. I would say normally at a place like this i always go for a burger. However with the fact they are known for chicken fried steaks I couldn't turn it down. Sadly I can't say it lived up to the hype. In fact everything we had was OK. That was how felt about everything we had. Even the desserts didn't make a big impression. I will say we started our meal with onion rings and those were excellent! I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of chicken fried steak so take what I say with a grain of salt, and next time I'll get the burger.

    Menu
    John W.

    I had a great experience at Goodson's Cafe. The food was really delicious, vibes were great. I really like the interior of this restaurant. It was clean and very homey. I loved the wood and comfortable booths. The vibe was just good The service here was great too. Our waiter was really nice & friendly. It seems like most of the waiters here were very polite. Food came out very quickly too. I loved the food. I got this MASSIVE chicken fried steak. It was the size of a whole plate. And it tasted really good. The gravy was good too! Also the sweet tea is delicious :) I will say I wish I had gotten a different side than the black eyed peas. Next time I'll try a different veggie. Overall, I loved this place. I'm definitely coming back for the ambiance and the giant chicken fried steak

    Brandie A.

    When I have a craving for chicken fried steak and fried okra, this is where we go. It's a fairly large restaurant so getting a table shouldn't be a problem, even if you notice a very full parking lot.

    Dat N.

    Went to visit family in Tomball and had to stop by here for their famous chicken fried steak. The wife and I ordered the small portion of chicken fried steak and it tasted great. We had the gravy on the side, gravy was amazing by the way. The steak was delicious and perfectly battered. Crunchy and tender with every bit. We were greeted and seated right away. Service was great no complaints, food came out in a few minutes after we placed our orders. Definitely a must try if you're in the Tomball area.

    4 veggie plate 5.4.24
    Donna T.

    8.23.24 On this visit everything was off. The service, the food, even the hostess person did not look like he wanted to be there. Don't you hate when you ask your server, if they like something on the menu and they say "I don't know". It would be better if they said " sorry, I have not tried that yet". (smh) We ordered and waited 30 minutes for our food and of course something was wrong with it. My chicken was pink inside. I told my server and he just said ok and walked off. He came back and said he ordered me a new meal. The server never apologized or anything. Btw- they were not busy. My "2nd" meal arrived and I guess it was the manager who brought it out to me. She did not apologize either. It was the smallest chicken breast I have ever seen and it was just ok. We stopped coming here before because they are not consistent. Looks like it will be a long while before we come here again or if at all.

    David V.

    Stopped here for the first time on our way home from the Texas Renaissance Fair. It was pretty busy but we were greeted and seated immediately. The waiter (sorry can't recall his name) arrived at the table within 2 minutes to take our drink order then about 3 minutes after bringing our drinks he was back to take our food order. Big plus, he spoke loudly and clearly enough to be easily heard and understood even over the crowd. He also brought yeast rolls with the drinks and oh my, they were amazing! Soft, warm, and yeasty! Our food arrived quite quickly considering how busy they were and everything was piping hot. Their menu claims they have the 'best chicken fried steak' in Texas according to The Eyes of Texas (not sure who that is). So, I ordered the small one. Was it good? Yes. Was it the best I've had? No, that honor still stays with T-Bone Tom's in Kemah. It did have quite a bit of extra breading around the edges of the actual meat and wasn't cooked quite long enough. As you can see in the photo the breading was pretty light colored. The flavor was good, but not exceptional. I also had fried okra and mashed potatoes. The okra also needed a bit more time in the fryer as it wasn't very crisp at all. The potatoes and gravy were both very good.

    Worlds famous Chicken Fried Steak
    Dominique E.

    I was visiting from out of town and was craving some country cooking. Service was great. Food was tasty. And they were able to reserve us tables for our family after a funeral service. Overall this place is great if you're out in Tomball. And yes the chicken friend steak is as good as they advertise.

    Smothered chicken with mac&cheese and mashed potatoes
    Monica G.

    Service: 5/5 Great service! We had a big party come in during lunch time on a Sunday and while in the waiting area, we were kept in the loop about how long the wait will be, which was shorter than the time given. When brought back, the waitress was very attentive and came back at good intervals to refill any waters. Quantity/Value: 5/5 The amount of food you get for the price is pretty great. You can definitely share a meal here. Taste: 2.5/5.0 They are world famous for their chicken fried steak, but apart from it being bigger than your face, it did not impress us. The other foods are mediocre as well; nothing stands out. Our table ordered: Chicken fried steak: Honestly, I feel like you can get this at Cheddar's or anywhere else and not miss out on anything special here. Onion rings: pretty good, but I actually like Sonic's Drive In a lot better. Cheese sticks: I thought these were very good! Crispy and had a lot of cheese on the inside. Yeast rolls: Very good! So soft and warm. Amazing with the butter and/or gravy. Veggie of the day (spinach): So salty! I took two bites and could not eat it anymore Mashed potatoes: good, nothing special Mac & cheese: good, nothing special Smothered chicken: nothing special. French fries: One of the worst restaurant quality fries I have ever tasted. They were not crispy and salted well. Frozen fries that I air-fry at home taste 100% better. Overall, this place did not impress us, and I wouldn't want to come back. I would be much happier eating at Chicken Express if I wanted fried foods/chicken.

    Onion rings appetizer...  Like 5 bucks as of Dec 2024

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    Thank you! You made our day!

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    Thank you. Serving Tomball and hungry Texans for 75 years

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    Page 1 of 17

    Ask the Community - Goodson's Café

    Can I bring a cake from outside to the restaurant for celebration?

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    Black Bear Diner Tomball

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    Came here for a quick lunch and couldn't decide on whether I wanted breakfast or lunch, so I went…read morewith both!!! This pancake was bigger than my face, and was one of the best I've had in a long time. It was light and fluffy, and had a nice crisp to the top of it as well. Smothered in melted butter and syrup, every bite was so good. I also had some of their breakfast sausage, which was soooo good, and great to get a two bite in one with the pancake and sausage together!!! I also opted to get the chicken avocado club. The bread was toasted beautifully, there was lots of bread with the meal, so I ended up taking out the middle bread piece. The bacon was perfectly crispy, chicken grilled nicely, the only thing I wanted more of was avocado, didn't seem to be on 2 of my 4 slices. The fries were super hot, fresh, and crispy. Our service was really great, such a sweet woman that took care of us and also checked on us often. This was my first visit ever coming to one of these, and really enjoyed it and the amount of options available at a very reasonable price. I will definitely be returning!

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