Babe's of Roanoke, TX

Name: Babe's
Location: Roanoke, TX
Price: About $10-11 per person
Service: Excellent service
Food: 4.5 Stars
Would I Go Back: Most Definitely

The family ventured down to Roanoke last night for dinner, which surprisingly, has a very nice and cute downtown. Although parking was a disaster (apparently everyone had the idea to eat out in downtown Roanoke last night), the food at Babe's was delicious. I am typically skeptical of "homestyle" cooking, because "homestyle" is relative. For example, although Cracker Barrel is tasty, frozen biscuits from a bag aren't really "homestyle" in my book. Well, the first indication that the meal was going to be very yummy was the fact that the biscuits at Babe's were homemade and fluffy.

Don't be fooled by the small storefront...Babe's is a rather large restaurant once you step in the door, and tables turn pretty fast. The decoration is primitive. Old wooden tables and chairs are crowded throughout the restaurant. Warning:t he chairs roll, be careful...I would say that many people have been dumped in the floor by them. Apparently, the people of Babe's are fans of chickens, because there are chicken (not live ones, thankfully) decorations all over the place.

You won't spend long agonizing over which dish to choose, because there are two meats -- fried chicken and chicken fried steak. Once you've selected the meat, your job is done. The tasty salad comes to the table with the house dressing (a sweet and sour vinaigrette), the biscuits keep rolling in, and the sides come standard. Everyone gets a family style, free refill helping of mashed potatoes, gravy and corn.

I had the chicken fried steak, since from what I understand, it is a Texas staple. YUM! The meat was tender and the breading was crispy. Jeff also indulged in the chicken fried steak...the servings were so large, we could have shared if that was allowed. Mom and Dad chose the fried chicken, and it looked delicious as well. On top of the Mmmmhmmm good food, the service was excellent. My drink never emptied, and our family style sides were refilled as soon as we needed more.

To say the least, I felt like this meal was every bit worth the 15 minute drive down HWY 377 to Roanoke, and I plan to do it again whenever I have the chance.