Cattlemans Cafe — Local services in Blue Ridge

FOLLOW...BITES:Fannin County and Beyond North Texas E News FOR reviews.. June 24th 2025

Blue Ridge, Texas -- There’s a certain kind of quiet magic in places that have stood the test of time — not because they’re trendy or trying to be anything other than what they’ve always been, but because they don’t have to try. They’ve already earned their stripes, one plate at a time. Cattleman’s Café in Blue Ridge, Texas, is exactly that kind of place.

What can you even say about a restaurant that’s been doing it right for over 70 plus years? Cattleman’s Café isn’t just a place to eat — it’s a Texas institution. Since 1954, this wooden-frame building on the square in downtown Blue Ridge has been serving up home-style cooking that keeps locals and out-of-towners coming back. And honestly, if a place has survived seven decades in a small town, it's not just luck — it’s legacy. Inside, the place is everything you’d hope for in a small-town café: warm service, walls lined with local memories, and a sense that everyone has a seat at the table. During my visit, there was a whole group of women gathered around one of the big tables — clearly enjoying a Saturday outing, catching up over comfort food. You’ll see friends meeting up for breakfast, and whole families piling into booths like it’s Sunday dinner. It’s the kind of place where the food hits just right and the stories are as rich as the gravy. When a place is known for its chicken fried steak — and even snagged a D Magazine "Best of Dallas" award for it — you order it. It’s the law. And rightfully so: golden-crusted, fork-tender, and smothered in just the right amount of cream gravy. It delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Texas classic. And trust me, it didn’t disappoint — golden, crispy, tender, and smothered just right. But as I looked around the dining room, I started noticing something: there was a not-so-quiet burger movement happening. Table after table, burgers were flying out of the kitchen. Big ones. Juicy ones. The kind that turn heads and trigger second thoughts about your own order. If the chicken fried steak is the pride of the place, the burgers might just be the dark horse stealing hearts one bite at a time.

I'd say the burgers are a very close second star on the menu, if not quietly stealing the show. And then there’s the pie. Lord, the pie.

Today’s offerings were chocolate and coconut, both made from scratch — and both worth writing home about. The chocolate pie had a marshmellow meringue so fluffy it could float off your fork. That filling? Rich, decadent, the kind of dark chocolate that whispers you shouldn’t, and yet... you do. You go in for the second bite, then the third, and you have to stop or suddenly you're scraping the plate like it owes you money.

Then came the coconut. Very traditional meringue, with toasted coconut flakes..thick with homemade pride. And if I’m being honest? It was my favorite. Silky, custardy, just the right balance of egg and sweetened condensed milk — it tasted like the kind of pie that only gets made on holidays by someone’s Southern grandma. It's the kind of dessert that makes you pause mid-conversation and just go "oh my gosh!"

Come for the chicken fried steak. Stay for the burgers. But do not leave without a slice of pie. Cattleman’s Café isn’t just serving food — they’re serving up memories, one plate (and one forkful of...

Waited 40 minutes for a sandwich at lunch time. People who walked in after us were almost done with their food when we got ours. It would have been nice if after 20 minutes they could of apologized for the long wait and told us what was going on. Instead, at 40 minutes the waitress finally came to our table and said the wait was due to not having the fries ready. When told that this wasn't good customer service she defensively replied that it wasn't her fault. (We still tipped her 20% because she was young and appeared to be still learning.) Food was average. I could tell the fries were not homemade so not sure why they took 40 minutes. The previous customer's glass condensation was right where I put my arm. Not the worst thing but it was not pleasant getting wet. The place doesn't have good air circulation so the smell of fried food lingers on your clothing when you leave. Will not...

We planned to stop at the Cattlemen's Cafe for lunch during our ride loop through the area this past Sunday. Due to a mechanical failure we had to re-plan our ride on the fly and decided to go to breakfast instead. I am so glad we did!

The place is perfect for a pre-ride breakfast (or post ride in our case) and the host and staff were super friendly and accommodating. I can honestly say this was definitely a comfort place for me. The breakfast was one of the best simple breakfasts I have had in a while. The Cowboy Breakfast was eggs any style, hash browns, bacon and a biscuit with gravy. Every item was cooked perfectly! Over Easy eggs, not runny, but runny as I like them, crispy outside and perfect inside hash browns, bacon was spot on (and 4 pieces too!) and the biscuit and gravy just topped it off. We are going to make this a for sure stop on our rides in the area. Oh and...