Dixie Diner — Restaurant in Texarkana

My previous review advised: Service is often at issue here. The food is usually good-- that is, if they get your food to your table as you ordered it. See the following update written Nov. 2017.

I will no longer be dining at the Dixie Diner. This decision comes after a number of recent visits. While I hate to say it, it has gotten too ridiculous to keep eating here.

In the last 6 visits, 5 were in-person and 1 was a trip to the takeout window. In 5 of these, my orders were repeatedly incorrect. One visit saw what was to be the third plate of corrections delivered. I ordered chicken fried steak, but chicken fried chicken was incorrectly delivered to the table twice after the first: the fried steak arrived so burned, it couldn't be cut with a knife.

That was the case again last weekend, when my late night craving for chicken fried steak drove me back. That was a real disappointment.

The burned steak arrived smothered in brown gravy, which was supposed to have been served on the side. It arrived after over a half hour's wait, albeit only 6 tables were occupied. There was no shortage of staff; staff were not working, but were talking and playing.

When you mess up someone's food, time and again, the thing you need to do first is to sincerely apologize. Not once did staff mention an apology. Rather, they preferred to say that it was not their fault, make excuses and say they knew it should not be how it was.

Hello, wait staff. The thing you need to do (really, you must do) is to correct the errors with a priority on the fixes, with no others.

In an instance like this, my bill shouldn't even register the meal.. but if it does, it should only show you already subtracted the cost of that meal. Particularly because that's the right thing to do, whether or not I was made to wait even longer for a replacement.

And frankly, these ongoing problems are too numerous, too pervasive, too commonplace. If you leave these practices unaddressed, they are going to cost you this business. Never forget to concern yourself with serving and satisfying your customers. Step it up or shut it down.

If you had a brain for business, it might also be helpful, after you mess up orders, not just to fix them quickly, but to offer your customers a little good will--some suitable "freebie" for use on a future visit (assuming they wish to return). While I wouldn't have accepted, make a better impression with this gesture. The gist of this is simple: I expect to pay for dinner whenever I choose to dine out, but I likewise expect it to arrive as I asked for it when placing my order.

To the waitress... As I said--even after you'd smarted off--it wasn't your fault that the kitchen smothered gravy over my steak, but what I didn't say was where you could've had a reasonable clue: it certainly was your fault, considering that while you knew exactly what I had ordered, you dared to ever bring that disaster of a meal to the table--especially considering how gravy covering the steak was right in front of you on the tray you toted. (I was far nicer to you than I ever should've been, even if this seems a bit harsh.) All I wanted was my food, properly cooked--NOT BURNED or smothered in brown gravy.

That your staff, Dixie Diner, messed this meal up for a fifth time in only six visits... Well, that's it. One more priceless insight I will offer: kids ought not be trusted to run a business or its operations, since they aren't invested in their employment in such positions or places of business.

And, with this, I have presented five examples why your business no longer draws daily lunch and dinner crowds that it had once so aptly earned for itself and seemingly so enjoyed serving. What a shame to run that kind of good business into the ground, as is obviously the case now.

Bye, Dixie Diner. You've exhausted my patience, and meanwhile, you've ruined my dinner for the last time. I'll miss the chicken fried steak, but, frankly, it's been so long since you've gotten it right that I've already begun to forget how I used to enjoy it as the...

First of all.......I adore their beef liver and onions. Really I do And I'm a pushover for all of their vintage signage. But---------------I'm limited income. (That other review I wrote, for the Arlington Hotel? I didn't pay for that stay, my close friend did! I simply know it just isn't in my budget. I have to be strict in regards to my budget.

I state that because It slays me, personally, that the price of it, just keeps on inching up. I don't eat out often. So perhaps the blame is actually on me. I understand the local restaurants, especially the ones that -aren't franchises et al- I realize that there are many factors involved in ultimate pricing. I realize that they have overhead. Upkeep. Employees to pay. Supplies to purchase, so on and so forth. Even so, It STILL slays me that something such as beef liver, for two slices of it, and two 4oz servings of a vegetable (I mean, as in speckled butter beans, not talking starchy carbs etc, Talking actual vegetables.) now cost $14.00usd or thereabouts. No, I don't have a to go menu available. I dine once monthly IF I feel its within my budget aka affordable that month, to me, with friends. We've tried to make it a practice/habit, so do so. Even then, I'm hard pressed, That once monthly lunch is pretty much my limit monetarily, and yes it can be a hit and miss experience. But then, after that, and after all my bills for the month are paid? That's when I must be stern with myself as to how much I really can afford to eat out., And feel foolish, even wanting to when I know I have perfectly good food in my freezer, and my ktichen cabinets. My home is smalll, I "wish" I had a pantry, Smh.. Perhaps my complaint is baseless. But I am compelled to say something because ===when I do eat out, wherever, it's huge to me, It's a form, literally, in my way of thinking, a form of pampering aka "spoiling" myself. But because of the price increase, that is serving as a road block. And its a shame. Restauranta, all of the local ones might be prone to lament regarding lack of support, but as the economy worsens, I truly don't see how some of them "make it" aka survive. An establishment such as Dixie Diner, can make it becuase of the quality of their food, because of location, because of service. Those factors are indeed blessings. All I can say is that I hope they don't increase the price yet again, at least on the beef liver. I see what it costs per pound in the store, and I just smh, because I see the difference. I learned how to cook it, ages ago, just don't have the patience, My fault, though,...

Running around late, we wanted a bite to eat! Searching via online we noticed they stayed open longer than another site had, so...we had to investigate. Having worked at another location, many moons ago, I somewhat knew of the food already, hoping the recipes have not changed since then. As luck would have it, we made it there and in a comfortable time not to grieve those that labor there.

Wife ordered her tea, along with what she considered, "The BEST chicken fried steak she has ever had." And on the sides where mashed potatoes as well as the green beans, in of which she thought were bland and just so-so. The white gravy was not over peppered as many may do, but also mild in flavoring. ....back to that main star (chicken fried steak) was so tender, and the breading was delicious, just could not be topped.

As for me, I had the chicken fried chicken but mistakenly had it with brown gravy on top, not on the side. Don't get me wrong, I loved the gravy, and the chicken but should have keeper them separate. The broccoli, well it being late as it was, as might be suspected, too soft for my liking. The pinto beans showed to be whole and good to flavor, was really nice to have. All food was hot, served quickly and well cooked aside my soggy sad broccoli but hey, it was late.... The breads: Rolls, still as good as I remember, wished they were brushed with more butter though. Nice to have the honey on the table, mmmmm. Cornbread, preference would be thinking, but I'm not a big fan of it, wife thought it to be dry and average.

Coffee: YES! Loved it, had a good flavor and mild acidity, creamer is for the asking, sweeteners are on the table.

Location, is kind of hidden, seating is plentiful, carpeted to keep the noise level down and comfortable country feeling atmosphere.

Will return, hopefully soon to share another review as well as photos. Both our meals came to about thirty dollars averaging twelve bucks a person+drinks.

Good to know the owner (Mike Morris) still tends to the business practically everyday.

If I were a celebrity, would I eat here? Yes, bring a autographed photo for the wall, after all even The Dallas Cowboys ate at Dixie Diner!

Till...