Cafeteria confidential: Here’s where to dine on Thanksgiving for as little as $11.49
If you can’t eat at home Thanksgiving, eat somewhere that feels like home.
For generations of Texans, that has been two historic cafeterias: Houston-based Luby’s and Dallas’ Southern cooking landmark, the Highland Park Cafeteria.
In its 109th year, Luby’s will serve long lines Thursday for what might the best deal in Texas: an $11.49 turkey dinner with dessert.
In Dallas, it’s the 95th year since the Highland Park opened, then on Knox Street and now in the Casa Linda neighborhood.
Here’s a look at Dallas-Fort Worth’s two famous foodie landmarks and other family-friendly deals on Thanksgiving dinners:
Luby’s: Return of the champion
For 30 years or more, Luby’s dominated Texas cafeterias and culture the same way Dr Pepper or Whataburger do today.
The cafeteria’s smaller entree even inspired the name of a “King of the Hill” cartoon character: the LuAnn Platter.
But the age of the cafeteria was ending by 2001, when two brothers in Houston’s Pappas restaurant family bought into the chain.
Now, nearly 20 years later, Luby’s has rebuilt its reputation for good food and a good value.
A recent turkey dinner was by far the best at any budget restaurant, and better than some selling for twice the price.
The Luby’s location at 5901 S. Hulen St. — others are in east and north Fort Worth, and Forest Hill — served up a beautiful carving of soft, fresh turkey breast, with a notably subtle giblet gravy and mild, fresh cornbread dressing.
Add yams, green beans and pie, and it was as perfect a family Thanksgiving dinner as anyone could imagine.
Compared to other cafeterias and chain restaurants, Luby’s served larger portions of better dishes. The dressing and gravy reflected particular care and complemented the turkey, which seemed like an actual carved portion and not a pre-formed turkey roast.
Add pecan pie and this Luby’s dinner is as good as any in history; lubys.com.
Highland Park: Like a cafeteria-museum
The original Highland Park Cafeteria was famous for southern fried chicken, East Texas pies and the serving-line portrait gallery of “Our Country’s Presidents.”
There might be some question whether a wall of presidential portraits is good for the appetite.
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But it’s still fun to reminisce about past presidents in a cafeteria that dates back to Calvin Coolidge’s administration.
While Luby’s has modernized, Highland Park remains an old-timey cafeteria with a salad bar full of Jell-O and pea salads, a long serving line with 15 or more entrees and a frosted pie rack full of cream pies
The Highland Park is known for East Texas fried chicken and black-eyed peas, along with pot roast.
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But on Thanksgiving, it opens at 10:30 a.m. to start serving turkey so Texas families can get home in time for the Cowboys game.
The $15.99 lunch includes the cafeteria’s near-perfect chocolate, meringue, fruit or pecan pies.
On a recent visit, the Highland Park turkey wasn’t as good as Luby’s. But the dressing and gravy more than made up for that. If you consider cornbread dressing part of the entree and not a subtle side dish, Highland Park is the place.
It’s open for lunch and dinner daily and lunch Thanksgiving; 1200 N. Buckner Blvd., Dallas, 214-324-5000. highlandparkcafeteria.com.
Cracker Barrel: The reliable roadhouse
In an unscientific Twitter poll of Eats Beat readers, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is the favorite Thanksgiving dinner restaurant.
The price is outstanding: $11.99 for turkey and dressing, cured ham, pecan-sweet-potato casserole, a side, biscuits and pumpkin pie.
But Cracker Barrel has been serving turkey every Thursday, and a recent stop at the Benbrook location produced mixed results.
The turkey was good and the dressing was the best of any cafeteria or chain.
But it was all drowned in a thick, gooey version of giblet gravy.
Definitely ask for the gravy on the side. The other side dishes were adequate, and Cracker Barrel’s biscuits show its southern pride.
The chain is also now serving a first: chicken-fried turkey.
Cracker Barrel has six locations in north and south Fort Worth, east and southwest Arlington, Benbrook and Grapevine; crackerbarrel.com
Mimi’s Bistro + Bakery: A makeover that worked
Yes, Mimi’s Bistro + Bakery is still open.
Not only that, the Dallas-based chain has picked up patrons as other chains have fallen by the wayside.
If your neighborhood Denny’s closed, Mimi’s is known for breakfast. If you lost a French bakery, Mimi’s serves lunches and pastries with a New Orleans flavor.
If you’re just looking for a comfy suburban bistro, Mimi’s menu has something for everybody.
The two remaining area locations are in southwest Fort Worth and Arlington Highlands.
On a recent visit to the Mimi’s at 5858 SW Loop 820, the regular turkey lunch was a sad offering of conforming slices of turkey roast with salty giblet gravy and a weak attempt at cornbread dressing.
The service was perfect, though, and the variety and selection were excellent for a chain family restaurant.
Mimi’s will do a special Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe that’ll be better. Or go for breakfast; mimiscafe.com.
Ol’ South Pancake House: A family dinner house
Serving its 58th Thanksgiving, the Ol’ South Pancake House is both a Fort Worth breakfast favorite and also a Texas travelers’ landmark.
The Ol’ South is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the wee hours, rodeo cowboys mingle with the nightclub crowd over plates of German pancakes and puffed “Dutch babies.”
On Thanksgiving, the Ol’ South shows off its home-cooking side with a plate of turkey and dressing with four vegetables: English peas, carrots, green beans and yams.
The $12.99 lunch includes tea or coffee and pecan or pumpkin pie.
The Ol’ South is busier at breakfast than at lunch or dinner, but on Thanksgiving, the lunch line starts before 11 a.m. and continues until all the turkey is gone.
It’s always open at 1509 S. University Drive, just south of Interstate 30 and the Chisholm Trail Parkway; olsouthpancakehouse.com.
(A Burleson location is under construction at 295 E. Renfro St..)
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 5:45 AM.
