Cafeteria News

Dallas restaurant makes treasured Food & Wine list of best cafeterias

Turkey dinner deluxe at Dallas' treasured cafeteria.

Photo courtesy of HPC

Texas tops a new list from Food & Wine covering the humble realm of cafeterias. Just in time for the holidays, the magazine issued a "10 Best Cafeterias in America" list that highlights three Texas institutions, with a Houston restaurant coming in at No. 1, and a Dallas cafeteria making the list of honorable mentions.

Houston's famed Cleburne Cafeteria earns the top slot on the list, touted for its fighting spirit, egalitarian milieu, and great turkey. Two other Texas classics are included in a "best of the rest" list of 14 cafeterias that were good, but not good enough to make the top 10:

Highland Park Cafeteria in East Dallas
the Luby's chain

Written by David Landsel, the article traces the cafeteria's origin to the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where entrepreneur John Kruger operated a restaurant inspired by the smörgåsbords of Sweden.

Landsel calls the cafeteria concept "hopelessly dated," while acknowledging that cafeterias are not only surviving but thriving in places like North Carolina, Texas, and "even future-minded Northern California." North Carolina and Texas, apparently stuck in the dismal past.

Houston's Cleburne Cafeteria, which he notes has overcome incredible odds including a major move and two devastating fires, seems to have provided the inspiration for the listicle. Landsel ate there for Thanksgiving in 2018, and was awestruck by the meal he shared with thousands of people he'd never even met. And yet they ate together!

"We came as strangers, united in our appreciation of one of the city's great dining institutions, the Cleburne Cafeteria, a family-owned establishment that has been feeding Houstonians from all walks of life for generations," he says. "Some of us were here for the nostalgia, too, because they just don't make cafeterias like this anymore, others because it was easier than cooking our own turkeys. And really, why compete—the turkey here is just that good."

"Today, the city's oldest cafeteria is better than ever," he says, "serving up quality home cooking at reasonable prices to anybody and everybody wise enough to understand just how lucky we are that this place still exists."

Other places on the list stretch from Alabama to Sacramento, California, and include restaurants such as Valois in Chicago, Sokolowski's University Inn in Cleveland, Arnold's Country Kitchen in Nashville, and famous Philippe's in Los Angeles (although that place is really better known as home to the original French dip sandwich rather than being a cafeteria).

His blurb about Highland Park Cafeteria, whose Casa Linda Plaza location is the final survivor in what used to be a chain, applauds its longevity.

"After nearly a century of serving chicken—chicken fried steak, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, you name it—to Dallasites with big appetites, what was once referred to as 'America's Cafeteria' has downsized greatly, to just the one location, but the legend (thankfully) lives on," he says.

As for Luby's, he notes its ubiquity: "Driving around the Lone Star State, you can’t help but feel as if reports of the cafeteria’s death have been greatly exaggerated—Luby’s seems to be everywhere, mostly because it is—dozens of these cavernous mess halls continue to dot the landscape."

"One of the house specialties—the square fish, translated as neatly-portioned filets of fried, wild-caught cod—is popular enough that it’s now sold (along with the other house classic, macaroni and cheese) at H-E-B, the state’s best-loved grocery store," he says.

In addition to Luby's, he includes three other chains: Piccadilly, K&W Cafeterias in the Carolinas, and the Midwest treasure MCL Restaurant & Bakery. What, no love for Cracker Barrel?

lists bests

Downtown Dining

Indian restaurant Gymkhana adds an urban touch to downtown Dallas

Gymkhana

A plush new Indian restaurant is now open in the heart of downtown Dallas: Called Gymkhana, it's located at 1408-1410 Main St., in the former Which Wich Sandwich/Birdguesa space, where it's serving a wide range of Indian dishes in an elegant, upscale setting.

Gymkhana is from prolific restaurateur Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working at hotels and on cruise ships. Prasannan is also the owner of Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept he owns with his brother Prinu, with outlets in downtown Dallas and in Allen; and Elephant Bar & Grill, another upscale Indian brand with locations in East Dallas and Bishop Arts.

Gymkhana — which is no relation to a London-based concept with the same name — is Prasannan's latest creation, and furthers his mission to champion authentic Indian food — from all parts of India, including Mumbai, where he's from — in a nicer environment than other Indian restaurants in the area.

The menu features traditional Indian dishes but with an occasional contemporary flair. Soups, for example, include a traditional madras tomato soup next to a lobster bisque. There are classics like samosas but also adventurous fusion items like hummus with garlic naan, or mussels "Indian style" with velvet tikka sauce.

They offer a number of dishes baked tandoori-style in a clay oven that imparts an irresistible smokiness, in dishes such as lamb and chicken kebabs.

Like most Indian restaurants, Gymkhana is vegetarian-friendly, even offering vegan dishes such as chana masala — chickpeas in a spicy tomato-onion sauce. Prices are relatively low, with entrees averaging about $21.

"I wanted to make sure it was affordable — that was important," Prasannan says.

GymkhanaGymkhana

Decor
The restaurant is inspired by the traditional social clubs of India, celebrating the spirit of togetherness and conversation, designed with intricate detail, Prasannan says.

"I brought in antiques from India to create a distinctive atmosphere, to give the restaurant a strong identity," he says.

The facade features centuries-old hand-carved wooden doors, with a row of lights across the top that reflect down on the sidewalk and give the entry a sophisticated, big-city feel.

The interior boasts royal blue jewel-toned banquettes, sparkling chandeliers, and hand-painted murals depicting regal figures, elephants, and intricate patterns — a combination of modern and traditional.

The space combines what was previously two storefronts with seating for up to 150, and that was intentional, Prasannan says.

"One of my priorities was to be able to offer a place for private parties and events — we receive so many requests," he says.

He's also a big believer in bringing Indian food to the center of Dallas. The majority of Indian restaurants are in suburbs like Irving, Plano, Richardson, Frisco — but Prasannan's restaurants are all in inner city areas like East Dallas, Bishop Arts, and downtown Dallas.

Their presence lends a cosmopolitan urban touch to their neighborhoods — and Gymkhana does it one better with late-night hours, staying open until 11 pm on weeknights and 1 am on weekends.

downtown openings