Upon entering Po' Melvin's you are faced with walls of autographed photos. There are some popular people who left this place very happy with how they filled their bellies. Never judge a book by its cover though (good or bad). My friend and I were seated promptly and the host took our drink orders. The manager on duty came by to make sure our drink order had been taken care of. Golden star for thoroughness. Our server then delivered our drinks and we both ordered the chicken fried chicken... Of course. I'm not exaggerating when I say it took about 5 minutes for our platters of food to emerge from the kitchen. Laid before me was a good-sized portion of chicken fried chicken and mashed potatoes (both with white gravy, duh), buttered carrots, and a bowl of greens. Not to mention the rolls on the side and the cornbread my friend told me we HAD to get. Okay, so how's this chicken? It's thick. Thicker than your average pounded out chicken fried chicken. I cut it with my fork, a good sign for me, and dug in. The breading is crispy and peppery, but not hard. The chicken was tender and juicy, moreso than a chicken breast ought to be (I favor dark meat). Delicious! The gravy carries over the peppery notes in the chicken to a dual harmony of southern bliss. This is why I'm happy to live here. The mashed potatoes were pretty good, even if standard, southern taters. They were seasoned correctly, topped with the same delicious gravy as the chicken. The greens were bitter, soft but not mushy, and not over salted. The pepper juice was definitely needed to round out the flavor for me, however. The carrots were the most disappointing dish to me. Basic, round cut cooked-til-soft carrots. I couldn't detect much butter or any seasoning on them. Besides that heavenly chicken fried chicken there was one other thing that I KNOW I will return for: the cornbread. This isn't boxed cornbread. This isn't typical dry-sop-up-your-gravy-and-butter cornbread. This cornbread was almost like a freaking casserole! Kernals of corn, diced white onion, some pepper, and I swear there was cheesey creaminess cooked into it. That cornbread could have easily replaced a frittata during breakfast. It's superb. Moist, heavy, and a meal almost on its own. Po' Melvin's easily gets 4/5 stars for their chicken fried chicken and that superb cornbread. The service was friendly, fast, and accurate. Two or three times the manager came by to place his hand on my shoulder and inquire as to how our meal tasted. All I could tell him each time was "Awesome". I'd add another star if their veggies were kicked up a bit. I'll be back for sure. Oh, and this entire transaction only took about 45 minutes. I made it back to work with time to spare for a cigarette break. Thanks, Melvin's! read more

I totally overlooked Po Melvin's because it always looked sketchy from the outside. I woulda never gave it a try if it weren't for Yelp. Opted for the Chicken Fried Chicken, mashed taters and white gravy, whipped sweet potatoes, fried okra and an iced tea. While waiting for my order, the sweet waitress bought me samples of chicken and dumplings and roast beef with mashed potatoes and brown gravy to try after I told her it was my first visit. The roast beef was really good. I would've ordered a plate of it. Chicken Fried Chicken was tender, cooked perfectly. My side of fried okra was decent but I wasn't satisfied because it was a little bit soggy and not crunchy enough. Darn it I should have ordered their famous black eyed peas. The whipped sweet potatoes were good also. The entree also came with 3 dinner rolls. The portions were so huge that half it it had to get boxed to-go. It was the kind of meal that'd send you into a food coma. I was extremely sad that I couldn't even squeeze in a fruit cobbler. Oh well there's always next time. All that food and an iced tea for $10.80 UPDATE: 6 hours later and I'm still stuffed. I think I need tums. read more

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I had ordered the chicken friend streak and hands down it was the BEST I ever had ‼‼ the streak was cooked PERFECT OMG !!! I would go again

I was sure hoping for a lot better from this place from her views of friends that had come here a few years back. What they call Texas best chicken fried steak is a far cry from what is which is Babes If you're looking for good southern or Creole food keep looking it's not here. read more

Service was great. Food was meh. The seafood had zero flavor. I believe the stuffed crab was frozen and purchased. Tartar sauce was horrible and tasted like spoiled hot mayo. Black eye peas were good.. greens were ok. I'm from New Orleans and this is in no shape or form new Orleans cooking. Everybody wants to label food cajun cooking but do you even know what cajun cooking is? read more

A party of 5 of us visited here on a Saturday night, and it wasn't very busy. Despite that, the service was great and the food was damn good! I must say, the portions are HUGE for the price. We also tried their "signature drink", called the "Yo' Mama" -- a layer each of frozen Hurricane, frozen margarita, melon liqueur, and raspberry liqueur -- YUM! I ordered the chicken fried steak, with buttered corn & French fries, and I ordered an extra side of jalapeno cornbread. My husband ordered the roast beef po'boy -- which wasn't 100% authentic (he liked it), but the French bread was fresh & soft, & it was just the right amount of messy; this came with French fries My galpal ordered the chicken & dumplins with buttered carrots, buttered corn, mashed potatoes, and rolls. Her husband ordered the chicken fried steak with buttered carrots & mashed potatoes. Our friend Jon ordered The Big One, which included: a 1-lb chicken fried steak, roll, jalapeno cornbread, French fries, and choice of 2 veggies (he ordered green beans and mashed potatoes). He ALMOST finished it!! Overall, it was great quality food, I especially LOVED the jalapeno cornbread! We would definitely go back. It wasn't loud in there, not crowded, and the food was great especially for the price. I really liked it! read more

Chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, country gravy... Mmmm! I haven't had chicken fried chicken this delicious since I was a kid and my favorite place had to close down. Juicy and tender chicken, crispy fried breading, home style mashed potatoes all smothered in a gravy goodness. The service was quick and the food was inexpensive. The only thing I didn't love was the greens... In fact, I didn't even like them. They were soooo bitter. Too bad because I was craving some good greens! Still, I can't dock any stars... Next time I'll just order different veggies. read more

Po Melvin's - Chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and greens - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

The first thing you notice when you walk in is the array of celeb signed photos on the wall. Everyone from Jay Leno to Mike Tyson seems to have tried this joint. Then youll see that the waiters have shirts that say " Make you wanna slap yo momma" on the back. Funny, but I'll be the judge I thought. The menu was fairly simple, southerm comfort foods at a very reasonable price. I had the meatloaf, yams, blackeyed peas, mashed potatoes & jalapeno cornbread. When they brought it to the table I noticed the portions were large. Even the soda glass was big. The food was fantastic and I was hooked on this place. Ive tried just about everything on the menu, & also went in for breakfast (served until 1pm- which is awesome) which was also great! Im a big fan- only thing is I wish they had smothered pork chops, my favorite soulfood dish- but their fried pork chops will do. Try it- youll enjoy it read more

I was craving some southern food around lunch time, so decided to try this place with my coworkers...and it was good! This place serves really good chicken fried chicken that's crispy on the outside and has tender white meat on the inside. The meal comes with 3 sides you can choose from so I chose Okra, Corn, and Mash Potatoes (comes with either white or brown gravy). Okra tasted dry and almost bland....I was disappointed in that because I love Okra. The Corn tasted like any other corn I had so nothing special. The mash potatoes were actually pretty good which I'm glad because what's fried chicken without some good mash potatoes?! The atmosphere is very casual and has a southern feel of course. Service is decent and the place gets pretty packed around lunch time. Also, the pricing is around $7-12 depending on what you choose. Other dishes they serve are Cajun styled meals such as Po Boys, Jambalaya, deep fried seafood, etc. The restaurant itself has an aged appearance on both the exterior and interior designs, but don't let it turn you away! It's definitely a good place for a home style meal. read more

My sister invited me here for lunch today, I've never been so why not try it. I noticed the walls had a lot of pictures of famous people that we're signed, that was a good sign. All the staff greeted us when we walked in, and the waitress came to the table instantly. I tried the shrimp and oyster platter which came with a salad. My sister laughed because I asked how big the plates were, she told me I would probably want more. My plate came out and I did want more, being that I'm greedy. I enjoyed the food a lot, but could have been more. Lol, I'll order a bigger plate next time...because I'm still hungry. read more

Po Melvin's - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

While my fried shrimp were not 100% awesome, the chicken fried steak I've had there rocks, along with their mashed potatoes and other items. This place is worth going to -- GREAT staff and really good down home cooking. Try it and I hear they have an awesome breakfast on the weekends. If I am ever up there on a weekend, I am going to check it out! read more

I love this place !! It's my favorite, fresh food amazing customer service. I highly recommend this place the music they play there is just nice good menu I always get the chicken fried chicken .. a must try is the cheese bacon fries and they're homemade fresh cornbread read more

Not too shabby. First off, this restaurant is huge. They still have a smoking section, which made me nervous, but luckily, I didn't really notice a smell to the place. Upon being seated, the server brought out drinks quickly. She also brought over a cup filled with ice with 2 green onions stuck into it. I had NO clue what this was for, (the server said it was a southern thing, and some people like to eat the white end. huh?) I left mine for table decor. Glancing over the menu, there are a few sides that were marked with an asterisk, what does this mean? ITEMS SEASONED WITH PORK! yessssssss! Pork has the potential to make anything better. Anyway, I got the fried pork chop meal that came with 3 sides: green beans, fried okra, mashed potatoes). Whew, what a big meal. Not to mention that I also ordered a "small bowl" of the gumbo. Oh yeah, and the eating partner ordered jalapeno poppers. Gorge much? The poppers were pretty good. (12 in an order) The jalapenos were diced up inside instead of left whole. Plenty of melty cheese, crispy outside, a little heat. The dipping ranch was slightly runny and complimented the poppers well. My gumbo was ok. It says there are no fillers and it's crab and fish only, but it just didn't really wow me. Not a whole lot of flavor and it was warm on the verge of lukewarm. Rolls would have probably been way tastier if they were also served warm. Ours were room temperature at best. With all the above getting my attention, by the time the pork chops arrived, I was pretty full already. I managed about 1/2 of 1 pork chop and a few tastes of each side. The batter to the chop was flecked with pepper and it was slightly crunchy. It wasn't bad, but could have used a bit more seasoning. Green beans were pretty good after salt and pepper were added. Hey, pork can't do everything. Fried okra was ok, nothing special, and yes some were soggy. And meh on the mashed potatoes, may have been flakes, but I'm still cool with that it was nothing crazy. Service was fine as were the prices. I'd come back if I were in the area. From the pictures on the wall, it looks as if Melvin knows a lot of famous people, maybe one will stop in for a bite. read more

Great Po'Boys and Cajun foods!! Chicken Fried Steak is wonderful and is also availability as a Po'Boy!! WITH GRAVY!! read more

A couple of friends and I were trying to figure out a nice place to go for brunch. I learned about Po' Melvin's through Yelp, everyone gave it good reviews, so it was our destination that Valentine's Day morning. The first thing that you will notice upon entering Po' Melvins are the multiple pictures on the wall of celebrities who ate there. I'm a huge boxing fan, so the pics of Larry Holmes, Ali, and the Ragin Bull, Jake LaMotta struck my attention immediately. It was pretty crowded, which is a good thing. LSU helmets and signs lined the walls. The atmosphere was pretty cool. I had the breakfast buffet, which included an omelet at the omelet bar...it was very good! They have a large selection of fillings and toppings for your eggs! I also tried the grits (I had been wanting grits for a looong time!) which were pretty good as well. I'll definitely have to come back and try their dinner menu (I hear their catfish is pretty good). If you want a place to eat a nice breakfast, this is a very nice spot to go! I'll definitely be back! read more

Please join in singing the "nom nom nom" song. If you choose to eat at Po' Melvin's everything from the home style green beans to the roast beef in gravy is so AMAZING!!!! * Photo of nom nom nom goodness to follow. kthksbai read more

Went there on a Sunday morning around 11AM after church. The breakfast buffet was the easy option...big mistake. Half the steam trays were empty or had food in them that had been out awhile. Also, there was food all over the serving tables, why are people so messy? I highly recommend staying away from the breakfast buffet (served only on weekends.) The service was very good, although the server was a bit of a dim bulb. He did give us a free sampler of the pot roast and mashed potatoes and it tasted delicious. The tables and seats were clean. I'm going to try it at lunchtime, again. I went there years ago and I remember it being very good. read more

First time eating here the food and services are awesome! The hostess in the front was super sweet and friendly and fast. Our waiter was so attentive and patience with our kids. The platter we order and blacken catfish to our kids chicken tenders were all so tasty and on point. This restaurant is for all cajun food lovers! We will come back for sure to try other items on the menu. read more

Contrary to what they claim, the food at Po Melvin's does not want to make me slap my momma. After hearing the name Po' Melvins I did not expect a large sit down restaurant. Before I ordered, they brought me a glass of water and a glass with ice and green onions in it. Apparently this is a southern appetizer-type thing. I'd never seen it before, but it was an interesting appetizer for sure. Upon asking between the Chicken and Dumplin's vs the Meatloaf, my waitress instantly said "Dumplin's" a good sign--so I ordered them. I had my chicken and dumplings with red beans & rice and collard greens. The C&Ds were tasty, but lacking a little something. The red beans & rice were not good, they were very bland--think rice+a can of beans. The collard greens were good though, lots of bacon and garlic. The food is good, don't get me wrong... but if you're going to tell me the food will want to make me "slap my momma" it better be DANG good. read more

Staff super friendly and gave us tastings of the black eyed peas and beef roast with gravy on rice. Food tasted great and fresh. Had catfish and shrimp with a side of jalapeño cornbread. A+ food and service. Will definitely return! read more

My experience at Po' Melvin's was not the best. I was expecting it to be much better than it was based on the reviews. Located in a small strip shopping center the actual location is a good one. The place is clean and large enough for many patrons. They have what appeared to be a full bar and there are several TV's that where tuned to sports. (NCAA Final last night) I was with a group of 7 co workers and we sampled the Fried Pickles and the small "meat pies". The meat pies lacked flavor and were just ok. The fried pickles were very good. Nice batter and nice crunch to pickles. Several of us ordered the gumbo and is too was just ok. No real flavor but not bad by any stretch of the imagination. It seems Po' Melvin's cant decide what it wants to be... A cajun restaurant or a down home cooking restaurant. Gumbo and red beans and rice on one hand then Chicken and Dumplins on the other. Chicken Fried Chicken with gravy and then they have cajun rice. I sampled the chicken and dumplins and they were good. Not like moms but still good. Nice flavor but I did not want to get home cookin when they had cajun fare on the menu... Unfortunately, I decided on the Red Beans and Rice with the Grilled Pork Chop. The red beans and rice was served in a very large bowl. The pork chop was served on a side plate. The actual chop itself was not bigger than my fist and so thin you could almost see thru it. I did not know they could cut a piece of meat that thinly. The flavor of both was just ok. Nothing to write home about at all. Coworker had stuffed peppers and she ate very little of it. It was served with some type of marinara sauce and she stated it tasets like spaghetti. Another coworker had the seafood platter and they did not appear to be impressed at all. All in all, I would not come to this restaurant again. There are many other places within a 25 minute drive that you can get either cajun or down home cooking that would have been better than this in my opinion. read more

Definitely recommend! The place is easy to find right off the freeway, clean and friendly staff. We had the stuffed bell pepper and the chicken fried chicken. They were both delicious but the CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN was out of this world GOOD! For sides, I'd recommend their fried okra & red beans and rice. Great place! read more

Po Melvin's - Chicken fried chicken - sorry for the photo - we were starving! - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

My first visit on June 5; 2015: The food was a little salty for my taste and the fries were terrible (undercooked and greasy) but I enjoyed the meal overall and will definitely give it another shot. read more

Po Melvin's - Grilled pork chop with fries, fried okra, and jambalaya rice. - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

LIKE OMG!! This place was so freaking good.. I couldnt decide on what to get.. but ended up w/ grilled chicken.. wasnt in the mood for anything greasy!! but man this place was sizzling for lunch..talk about great food and the service wasnt that bad just the norm I guess. The place is really big so feel free to take a couple of friends to kick it! Next time I go imma indulged in some of that greasy fried chicken my friends had..As for everything on the menu.. come cajun.. some country.. i guess its blended..cant ya tell by the name?? read more

It only took one visit here to discover this place has the best catfish fillet I've ever had--and I've now had it three times! The Blackened Catfish served up nearly filled the plate, with a bed of savory Cajun rice underneath. The cat was firm and moist, perfectly cooked every time, and the price was impressively affordable. I've heard from others that the rest of the menu was full of great selections, but I'm not sure I'll ever order anything but this dish--except maybe to try the Blacked Grilled Chicken! The meal also came with a small side salad (their French dressing was great) and a basket of soft, warm rolls. The jalapeño cornbread was an extra side ($1.95) but worth trying at least once, and it's big enough to share. Update: Must. Have. Roast. Beef! The waiter, whose service was fantastic, brought us each a sample of the roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy in a small side bowl. Very nice of him since we didn't even talk about the roast beef when ordering. Talk about comfort food! I don't even have the words to describe it but I will def be ordering this on another visit. Highly recommended. read more

Po' Melvin's slogan says it's so good you'll want to slap your mama. I wanted to slap Melvin. First, this is a very local place. There are lots of regulars who know everybody so it is very friendly. It's really pretty cheap for breakfast. The breakfast buffet is really just the basics. Eggs, bacon, sausages, grits, potatoes, fruit and an omelet station. The omelets are big enough but have absolutely no seasoning. The biggest warning would be don't go there when they open at 8AM. Wait at least an hour. I think some of the food at opening is left over from the day before. The hash browns were way over-peppered and beyond crusty, as though they had been thrown on a griddle and re-heated. The sausage links looked OK, but the patties looked tired and dry. The place is old and kind of dark and dingy. The floor was very slick. I want to believe it was freshly waxed, but it was more likely just greasy. Staff are attentive and very pleasant. It's obviously a place that regulars like and feel comfortable in, where a big unremarkable breakfast is pretty cheap. There's a lot to be said for that. Just don't believe the slogans on the signs or windows. read more

Amazing place! Have been here several times. Great food, great service and great prices! met the owner while at Kwik Kar oil change in Irving and he was bragging about the owner and the service there and then the owner was bragging about Melvin Jr and Po Melvins! Great guy! read more

After driving by this restaurant many times and reading the excellent reviews, I decided to come here with a friend to try it. I was pretty excited to try some home cooking as I miss that when I"m on the road. We were promptly seated and the waitress asked us our drink orders. I decided on the fried catfish and my friend ordered the fried chicken. My salad came out first however I waited to eat until both of our main courses were served. The fried catfish was alright, but the fries were hella soggy. The salad was bleh, not that I expect this to be their specialty. My friend said her fried chicken was okay, but not she's had better. The fried catfish was moist but there was too much batter involved. Overall, I was kinda let down by this place as I've experienced better in the big D. I'm not sure I'd come back here as the food was nothing to write home about. read more

This is southern soul food at it's best! My husbands co-worker took us here and it was terrific. The food came out super fast and hot! They portions are huge and they give you 3 sides with bread so come hungry. My husband got the Roast Beef w/ Mashed Potatoes and I kept sneaking bites it was so moist and delish! I read some reviews and decided to try the Chicken Fried Steak w/ white gravy and it was really tasty (I will get the brown sauce next time). The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was due to the décor. It does need a major update or facelift. Of course you will probably pay more when they finally do a remodel. The prices are really cheap for all you get here! read more

Had the Saturday breakfast buffet with the family. Omelettes were ok. Hashed Browns were the worst I have ever head, but they may have just sat for too long. Nothing too amazing, but the ham was pretty good. Not many alternatives in the area, so I would go again if the lunch places hadn't opened and I was really hungry. read more

Po Melvin's - The aftermath. - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

Ok, granted it has been a while but so many tables were dirty when we arrived. The food was lackluster. They are always busy though for some reason, could it be the lack of 'down home' food in Irving? Perhaps so. I would never seek this place out to eat here. I guess the wall of celebrities is pretty cool. read more

Okay... I've eaten at this place several times over the years... I am sadden to say the quality has went down. For starters their sides orders. They use to be amazing. Now they taste like they are straight out of a can. Also the potatoes tasted like instant mix had been added to them. The greens had no taste. I am very sadden by this. I ate here twice this month just to make sure it wasn't me. Whatever you have done to cut cost please go back to making your food from scratch. The sauce in the roast beef even tasted burnt. I would really like to give my last visit one star but I like the idea of the restaurant. Please get it back together. read more

I won't say the food was nasty but I will say it was not what I was expecting. The chicken breast was super salty. The yams and cornbread were dry. read more

We gave Po' Melvin's breakfast a go, since it's all-you-can-eat, and frankly, we accept that as a challenge. There's not a huge selection here, but from what they have, it's plenty for $8! An omlet/egg bar will make your eggs and omlets to order, and that's pretty sweet. I am a basic, eggs-scrambled kind of girl, so I stuck to the steam table. My eggs were just fine, bacon and sausage was tasty, fruit was delicious (they added some sugar, and I would have preferred it without), and the french toast was good, but beware the cinnamon shaker- it can dump on your food pretty quickly and ruin a perfectly syruped and powdered sugared ratio. read more

Stopped in for lunch today - have been here several times the last few years. This is a popular spot in Irving. Just good old Southern food here, you can't go wrong. I had the meatloaf today... tasty as always. I usually get that or chicken fried steak. Good catfish here, too. They get real busy at the lunch hour. Come early or a bit later. Nothing fancy here, just good food. Service is usually pretty good. read more

We've been to Po'Melvin's in Irving several times now and haven't been disappointed yet. The food is good down home cooking. The serving staff is fairly young, friendly and accommodating. Our most recent visit was on a Sunday at 1pm and the place was packed. They were just wrapping up the breakfast buffet, but there were many people there for lunch. Most of the meals are reasonably priced - most are priced between $8 and $10, which is average for this area. But compared to other area restaurants, the portions are generous and the food tastes homemade - not the frozen meal style of food many restaurants seem to be serving lately. The sweet tea is delicious! Authentic, southern and just the right amount of sweetness. This time around I ordered the blackened catfish over rice. It was spicy (I don't usually like spicy food, but this was seasoned just right). I had a nice size piece of fish and a generous amount of rice. The meal also came with a salad (small, but good). So, for $8.95 I had a good meal. If I had one criticism it would be that the owners might want to add a couple more servers on Sunday. Our poor server was running from one end of the restaurant to the other to take and bring orders. Other than that I would highly recommend Po'Melvin's to anyone looking for some good southern home cooked food. read more

6/12..went for lunch. It was really good. The small gumbo is like a large. I do wish it had sausage and chicken though. Their black eyed peas, green beans and fried okra are really good. Great service. Went to the breakfast buffet. It was pretty good and they have an omelette station. Great oldies style music and good atmosphere. I will have to try them for lunch or dinner. I hear their chicken fried steak is amazing! read more

I didn't care for this restaurant. Once my chicken fried steak had arrived and I cut into it, it was all breading. It took cutting towards the center twice more before I hit meat. We complained immediately and our meal was offered to be replaced but I don't have meals replaced. We left. read more

This is ALWAYS my go to place when Im in town!! When I lived in DFW I went often....well...alot! My favorite thing to get is the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra and corn..or green beans. Depends on my mood. The service is always good, the food comes out quick and hot. Oh! It's not a chain!! Yay!!! read more

Po Melvin's - Ohhh my... - American Near Me - Irving, Texas

It was one of those days at work when you have basically tried everything around there and nothing sounded good. Then all of a sudden, bam, someone said, "Po Melvin." At first, I was all what the heck is Po Melvin? Southern comfort food? Me? Nah, I don't think so. Then, they said, just try it. You'll like it. So, I caved in. Blackened Chicken Breast sounded good so that was my choice. The blackened chicken breast was served on a bed of cajun rice. My two vegetables were french fries and sweet kernel corns. Surprisingly, it was pret-ty pret-ty good. Taste was exquisite. Po MELVIN! Great COMFORT FOOD! Gotta L-O-V-E IT!!!!! read more