Abilene has more than 250 restaurants. Most are locally owned family operations, though more corporate chains are coming in all the time. You will find food in Abilene is inexpensive when compared to other major metropolitan areas. While you could eat in Austin, San Antonio, or Dallas for the same price, you could not eat as well.

 This book turns a blind eye to Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, etc. to make sure you don’t miss out on the local restaurateurs whose culinary expertise offer tastes, textures, and ambiance you can’t find anywhere else.

BEST EVER

The Fort Griffin General Merchandise Store and Beehive Saloon     Hwy 180, Albany, TX

            The food here is so good that many of “The Beehive’s” regular customers drive in from the Metroplex (three hours) knowing they’ll have to wait another hour in line before being seated! Your-life-is-not-complete-without favorites include the filet minion, grilled taulipia, German chocolate cake (literally gave me goose bumps), and Ali’s lamb (only served on the last weekend of each month). Thursday’s special is all you can eat shrimp, Friday it is prime rib.

The menu is full of amusing stories—some pulled from actual newspaper articles—to entertain you as you wait. If you can get Ali, the owner, to tell you stories about coming to America or about the restaurant and how he came to own it, you’re in for a real treat. His stories are as delightful as his cooking. Short, white-haired and balding, Ali has more spunk than three people half his age, and is as friendly a man as ever walked the earth.

I dress up when I go here, but only because I would feel awkward eating such a fine meal in plain clothes. If you want to dress up too you can, but go in jeans or camouflage and you will fit right in. The ambiance is completely unpretentious. Go on a night when the local football teams are playing and you may not have to wait in line for too long.

The Beehive is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday (11 am – 2 pm), and dinner Tuesday through Saturday (6 pm – 10 pm).

BREAKFAST

AM Donuts & Croissants     202 S. Willis

                                                2510 S. Treadaway

            Need a sugar rush to get the day kicked off? These guys can help you out. I love their donuts, but my favorites are the croissant breakfast sandwiches with turkey and cheese!

 

El Centro Café     226 Pine

Fluffy pancakes, good burritos, and monthly art display for sale. This restaurant is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it, but the breakfasts are worth finding. The architecture and art give it a unique and delightful ambiance.

HAMBURGERS & SANDWICHES

Hickory Street Café     644 Hickory

            This historic home has been converted into a popular lunch spot and gift shop combo. Expect to see more women than men dining here. They offer several sandwich options, zucchini bread, and quiches, but their claim to fame is the chicken salad. If you need candles or gift cards, be sure to stop by the gift shop upstairs before you leave. Open weekdays for lunch.

 

Larry’s Better Burger     Treadaway & EN 12^th  

Larry’s is a quaint throwback to days gone by—a small kitchen surrounded by a car port. Larry has been head chef and bottle washer here since the 1970’s, and is now serving a second generation the same delicious, greasy burgers he served their parents. Walk up to the counter and order either 4 large or 6 small burgers for under $5. (Don’t order cheese if you want the special rate.) Also good is his Chicken Club Sandwich. A great place for a tailgate dining experience; this is my favorite spot for a cheap burger. Closed Sundays.

MEXICAN

 El Palomino     4116 N. 1^st

This is the best authentic Mexican food I have eaten on either side of the boarder. The Ballesteros family succeeds in preparing their dishes so well that even the lengue (cow tongue) tastes amazing—like a super-tender pot roast! The taco meat’s flavor is unparalleled. The food is cheap, but doesn’t taste like it!

Sun. 10:30-2;   Mon. 8-2;   Tues/Wed. 8-2, 5-8;   Thurs-Sat. 8-2, 5-9

 

Hernandez Bakery     S. 7^th & Oak     

This is my favorite place to go for a carne guisada burrito. For beverages, either bring your own, 50 cents for the Coke machine, or try the homemade limeade. Burritos cost $1.50, but they go for just $1.25 on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is very similar to the La Popular shops you’ll see on Pine and S. 14^th, but has better flour tortillas, and the best carne guisada in Abilene! Being a Mexican bakery, they also offer a selection of pan dulce (sweet bread). Those of you who grew up on Little Debby and Mrs. Baird’s beware: pan dulce is very different from what you’re used to.

 

TaMolly’s     4400 Ridgemont Drive

            This restaurant feels like it belongs in a big city. If you are from a major metropolitan area looking for something that feels like home, try TaMolly’s. As an added bonus, the food is really good! You will have tough time finding a table here on Friday and Saturday nights if you’re not early. This is a popular date/family destination. Open for lunch and dinner every day.

ORIENTAL

Ann’s Thai Kitchen     820 S. Treadaway

Good Thai food is far from ubiquitous in Abilene, but Ann’s delivers. They are good at taking you through the options and finding something to suit your tastes, so ask your server for suggestions on what to order if you’re new. I think Ann’s has the best Pad Thai in town (by a long shot). This is a small joint. If service seems slow it is because they are preparing your food to order. Take a couple friends with you to help pass the time. Prices are very reasonable. Open Monday thru Saturday.

 

China Gardens     2525 S. 14^th

            This is my favorite Chinese food in town. Most plates are in the $6 range and come with a much bigger egg roll than you’re used too. They have amazing beef chow mein, and I’ve yet to have a dish here that wasn’t excellent. Four lunch special options a day will set you back a mere $4.95 each. You can’t go wrong! Open for lunch and dinner Monday thru Friday.

 

Harvest Moon     1149 EN 10^th

            This Chinese food buffet joint gives you soup as a starter to the buffet. Once you get to the buffet line, expect to see all the usual items. The quality here is remarkably consistent. The skewered chicken is my favorite. Also very good are the sweet & sour chicken, garlic chicken, and barbequed pork spare ribs. The very reasonable buffet prices are posted outside the entrance. Open for lunch and dinner every day.

BARBEQUE

Betty Rose’s Little Brisket     1055 N Judge Ely

                                                   2402 S 7^th

                                                   2449 S. Willis

                                                  3362 Rebecca Lane

            Betty Rose’s is the most ubiquitous BBQ joint in town, and there’s a reason! Turkey, brisket, or ham, whatever you order will be good. Get a plate and help yourself to the side bar with potatoes swimming in butter, coleslaw, green beans, cornbread, and much more. One of their specialties, which they are great about up-selling you on, is banana pudding. Closed Sunday.

 

Joe Allen’s     1233 S. Treadaway        

You can’t call yourself an Abilenian unless you’ve eaten at Joe Allen’s. Joe and his ex-wife Sharon created a veritable empire in Abilene’s culinary landscape. Between the two of them they own Joe Allen’s Barbeque, Sharon Allen’s Lytle Land & Cattle, and Cahoots. Joe Allen’s offers the very best steak for your money. There are two counters to take your order: one as you walk in and one in the non-smoking dining room. It’s possible to eat for under $5, and it’s possible to order such a big steak $20 won’t get you out the door—your call. His steak is reason you’ll have to fight for a parking place. Open for lunch and dinner every day.

                                              

Perini Ranch     3002 FM 89, Buffalo Gap, TX

            For a long time Perini Ranch was one of the few restaurants around town you would call to make a reservation for. Some things never change, though during football season the wait may not be long. The stakes here are famous, the green chili hominy is awesome, the miniature garlic bread loaves are wonderful, and the barbeque sauce adds a uniquely dark, smoky accent to your meat. Each stake is big enough to share and comes with a large salad. Perini Ranch is definitely worth the drive, but isn’t someplace you’ll want to go if you are on a shoestring budget.

 

Turnerhill BBQ     1881 N Treadaway

            This barbeque joint stays open late on Friday and Saturday nights, though they start rolling up the kitchen by about 10 pm. On the weekends they haul in an extra grill (“Grillzilla”) and offer up a much-expanded menu. Weather permitting, they also open up the backyard, and bring out live music until midnight with no cover charge. When it’s too wet or cold to be outside, they move the party indoors. Weekends here rock! Stop by, order something, and enjoy the music.

SEAFOOD

Cahoots Catfish and Oyster Bar       301 S. 11^th

            This is a definite hot-spot in town, and you may have to wait for a table. Cahoots offers a full bar and an all you can eat catfish meal for about $9. Cahoots is also owned by Joe Allen, and offers the same rib eye steaks you could get at Joe Allen’s Bar-B-Q. Open every day for lunch and dinner.

 

Catfish Corner     780 S. Treadaway

Trying to convince somebody that Catfish Corner makes a better catfish than Cahoots is like arguing about politics or religion. They both cook up catfish, they are both good, and the chances of waiting in line are high at either one.

There are two entrances to this building, smoking to the left and non-smoking to the right. They have nightly all-you-can-eat catfish, but what earned them “can’t miss” status in this book were their side dishes. The fried pickles are absolutely amazing—especially when you sprinkle on a little extra pepper. One of the best culinary delights in town comes from pairing their French fries and cole slaw. It sounds strange—but so did peanut butter and jelly at first. Add a dab of country gravy, and the paring gets even more interesting! Open for lunch every day and dinner every day except Sunday.

OTHER

Bedford St.     1882 S. Clack

This is praised as one of the “nicest” places in town. Some of the tables have large wing-backed chairs that bring in a country club ambiance. Their chicken fried steak is the best in town. It also happens to be one of the cheapest things on the menu ($8). Bedford St. also has a bar with live music every night, and a couple of TVs to keep you updated on your team’s score. Open for lunch and dinner everyday until at least 10 pm.

 

Fuji Japanese Steak House     3110 S. 27^th

            Fuji’s is the only hibachi style grill in Abilene. You will be seated around a flat griddle with six or seven other people and watch as the chef prepares each of your orders in front of you. If you go at night (when the prices are higher), this preparation will become very interactive, with the chef cracking jokes, tossing shrimp from the grill into your mouth, etc. The food is all very good, but you need to know that the prices reflect not only the great food, but the entertainment value of the experience as well. In other words: Fuji’s is expensive. This is the only restaurant in Abilene where I have seen ostrich on the menu. You can also get steaks, chicken, shrimp, and lobster. Open only for dinner on Saturdays, they serve lunch and dinner every other day.