What Was the Best Meal in Town When You Were at Texas A&M?

Godfrey’s Restaurant, hands down! It was on Northgate in the late 1960s. The “Aggie Special” was a chicken-fried steak covered in white gravy with fries, green beans, a side salad, a dinner roll and the cobbler of the day. It was $1.25, and there were jukeboxes at every booth. Unbeatable! Mrs. Godfrey would say, “Rick, we have some leftover pie. Would you take it to the dorm in case any of your buddies get hungry?” Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey were very special people and friends of all Aggies.

Col. Rick Fitzhugh ’70, USAF (Ret.)
Fairhope, Alabama

The best meal in town was Mom’s, located on 25th Street in Bryan. It was the home of a few elderly sisters who, for $1.75, would serve you the best homestyle meal. I remember chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and corn. You simply walked in and sat at any table with the other customers, and the ladies placed serving dishes on the table for all. You could eat as much as you wanted. I always left feeling miserable from having eaten so much! The oldest of the sisters sat near the door in a chair to collect $1.75 as each guest left. Most of us simply said, “Keep the change.” That was the tip.

Dr. Daniel “Danny” Scroggins ’79 ’81
San Antonio, Texas

The first place I remember was Wehrman’s. It was a large, white house, and there was only one thing you went for: chicken-fried steak. As an oddball at Texas A&M who grew up on New York State’s Long Island, I knew what fried chicken was. And we had steak once a week at home, but combining these into a steak that was chicken fried I’d never heard of!

At Wehrman’s, you had one decision to make: single or double meat. And if you could afford it, it was always double. We were young enough, and physically active enough in the Corps of Cadets, to withstand the extra protein. And it was always accompanied by loads of mashed potatoes and some kind of vegetable, plus sweet iced tea.

If you were broke, the other choice was Mom’s, a small white house on a Bryan residential street. The first thing you saw was Ma sitting in her chair at the entrance to the dining room. She’d say hello and take your money, and you found yourself a seat at one of the communal tables. Ma had a bunch of women do the cooking, serving and cleaning, and they were all very friendly. And the food would just come and come. As I recall, it was often some kind of roast or baked or brined beef, plus bowls of mashed potatoes and vegetables and plates of white bread. You ate until you couldn’t eat any more, then said thanks to Ma, still sitting in her chair, on the way out.

Now, if you wanted something special, the place to go was Red Bryan’s barbecue, a small brick building right across Highway 6 as you exited campus on Main Drive. The clientele was much more upscale. It was rumored you could run into Gen. Earl Rudder ’32 or other administration luminaries there. And it was also rumored that Lt. Col. E.V. Adams ’29, director of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (my outfit) ate there when entertaining his friends or visitors.

At Red’s, you got a tray with a piece of butcher paper on it, bought your meat by weight, and if you wanted, they’d slice off a chunk of very (perish the thought!) orange cheddar cheese from a massive wheel sitting on the counter. There was no plate, and rolls of paper towels sat on the communal tables. And, of course, sweet iced tea!

Alan Gurevich ’73
Seattle, Washington

At the Texan Restaurant in 1973, it was a Caesar salad tossed tableside with whole romaine hearts that you ate with your fingers, Chinese Chengdu-style chicken with jasmine rice served in a small cup, the best shrimp and vegetable tempura I have ever had outside of Japan, and flaming shish kebabs served on saffron rice pilaf.

Shariq Yosufzai ’74
Oakland, California

Arnold’s Barbecue was the best meal in town in 1971! You ordered by the pound, and it was served on white butcher paper. It came with part of a loaf of bread, a pickle and chips.

Stephen “Steve” Henry ’71
Springfield, Virginia

Back in 1987 or 1988, there was a barbecue joint called Beetles that opened. I heard on the radio that they were having a special of all-you-could-eat barbecue and beer for around $10. Some buddies and I went and spent about four hours there stuffing ourselves and imbibing in the golden nectar. It was so good we went back the next week and found the price had increased. We weren’t too surprised about the price, but then we were told only one pitcher of beer each.

John Trevilion ’89
New Braunfels, Texas

3-C BBQ was wonderful in my days, from 1970-74!

Jack Coats ’74
Clarksville, Tennessee

A place called Dead Solid Perfect had the best burgers. I’ve never found better burgers in the U.S.

Natalie Lewis ’79
Houston, Texas

The chicken-fried steak at Wehrman’s on Highway 21 in Bryan was outstanding. But you had to be sure the Pissheads weren’t there unless you were with your parents.

Rick Renaud ’67
Victoria, Texas

The chicken-fried steak at Wehrman’s in Bryan was the best. It came with a salad and iced tea. I remember the steak would hang over the sides of the plate! Also, on my rides home to Corpus Christi, I remember the Dutch apple pie at Frank’s in Schulenburg. It had a crumble topping that hid a wonderful surprise in the middle: a scoop of black cherry preserves!

Tom O’Brien ’65
San Antonio, Texas

Seventy years ago, our best meal depended on age and status. As an upperclassman in 1957-58 returning from a Corps trip to Dallas or Fort Worth, the Whataburger in Bryan was perfect for healthy hearts and relatively lean frames. As a fish in 1955-56, the Saturday evening meal in the old Guion Hall was wonderful, almost stress-free and all-you-can-eat with few upperclassmen around to hinder teenage appetites.

Ted Goldenberg ’59
Bristow, Virginia

Mom’s in Bryan near Coulter Drive and 27th Street was the greatest. Mrs. Ball and her sister turned their house into a family style eatery. For $1.75, you got a hot dinner, one serving of an entrée and all you could eat on the rest. Plus, it was dinner and a show. For entertainment, you would bring a newbie and tell them to ask the harried, overworked server for more rolls. She would disappear into the kitchen, come back and without breaking stride, throw the rolls at the patsy. Ah, Good Bull.

Casa Chapultepec in Bryan also had decent and inexpensive food, but a key memory was the night a Bryan police officer came in and arrested our waiter and hauled him off. As college students, our takeaway was, “All right, no need to leave a tip.”

Ray Longoria ’77
Arlington, Texas

Lunch at Dos Hermanos in downtown Bryan was great. We’d go there for its “beef on flour” meal: two beef enchiladas on flour tortillas with rice, beans and an iced tea.

Chad Martin ’96
Bentonville, Arkansas

Los Norteños Cafe in downtown Bryan!

Mike Connor ’85
Bryan, Texas

I can think of four spots. There was a place on the north side of FM 60 near Easterwood Airport that served fried chicken and catfish with tea in Mason jars. Then there was a family style house deep in Bryan called Mom’s where you paid an elderly woman, sitting in her easy chair, as you left. I was also always up for fried chicken from Youngblood’s. But the most memorable place for my family was a Chinese restaurant in Bryan where South College Avenue merges with Texas Avenue. Having grown up in a small town and never having tried Chinese, I was taken there by some Aggie buddies. It was an awakening of taste buds, so naturally I took my mom and dad there before a football game. From then on, my dad always demanded to eat there before any football games.

Geoffrey Kret ’78
Godley, Texas

My friends and I in Spence Dorm (D1OTQ) would order in Partner’s baked potatoes on Friday nights before watching “The X-Files” and “TimeTrax” on TV. The baked potatoes were huge and had lots of choices for toppings with one being “the Kitchen Sink.” Another eatery I’d go to was The Feed Barn which does still exist. I don’t know if they still have chicken-fried steaks that fall off their plates or not, but I loved all the Coca-Cola signs everywhere. I need to get back there! They were such a mom and pop place back then that they’d close for Christmas break when all the students left town. Of course, there’s the Chicken Oil Company which also still exists and has been recently re-built after a fire. I need to get back there as well! 

Julie Gould ’97
Normangee, Texas

I ate at Mom’s frequently my freshman year. You couldn’t beat it for the price, and young guys can eat a lot. I walked out of there backwards practically carrying my belly after a meal. I still remember “Mom” sitting it that old chair collecting money.

John Benes ’79
Spring, Texas

In 1984-85, there was a place in Bryan called Mom’s. It was in an old house. There was a set menu each day, and the entrées and sides were all home-cooked meals. The food was served family style, all you could eat. You paid your money in a cigar box as you left. It was a godsend for four guys and roommates who lived off campus and couldn’t cook.

Mark Browning ’88
College Station, Texas

During my time at Texas A&M, I ate most meals in Duncan Dining Hall. I actually liked most of the food there and had no complaints. But my fish “Ol’ Lady” and I learned about a lady who served homestyle meals at her residence in Bryan. It was called Mom’s. We would occasionally go there on Sunday, pay a very reasonable fee and stuff ourselves. The meal always consisted of three kinds of meat, numerous vegetables, other side dishes and dessert. Those were the best meals I ate at Texas A&M. We would also occasionally go to a Mexican restaurant, Zarape Restaurant, where we filled up on free queso and salsa, then ordered some cheap thing on the menu. That was a great change of pace for food.

Daniel “Dan” Pickett ’63
League City, Texas

During my fish year in 1965, my buddies and I would pile into a car and drive to an older neighborhood in Bryan. There was a small home there known as Mom’s. It was owned by an older lady who turned her living room every Sunday after church into a place that made you feel like you were home. She had several tables set up that could serve about 20 Aggies at a time. She constantly put hot plates on the tables, and we ate family style. I think we gave her $2 for the meal, but she never turned anyone down if you were a little short on money. For a short time, you felt you were home eating your mom’s cooking.

Henry Luddeke ’69
Cuero, Texas

I can tell you what it wasn’t! The Cow Hop, a longtime dive at Northgate, kept many a poor Aggie from starving to death in the 1970s and 1980s. During my four years from 1982-86, for the paltry sum of $1.60, you could get a cow pie (a half-pound, flame-cooked burger), an extra-large serving of fries and a quart of iced tea. The low price ensured a long line seven days a week, so at least you knew your food was fresh. Depending on how busy they were, you might get a piece of lettuce and some pickles and onions from the fixin’s bar, but no guarantee. And they had one-gallon jugs of mustard and ketchup with squeeze spouts to ensure you lubricated it enough to wash it down. If you had an extra 40 cents (way too rich for my blood), you could add cheese to your cow pie. I ate there hundreds of times as a student. It was a great calories-per-penny compromise if not necessarily a great meal!

Mark Stein ’86
College Station, Texas

To break the monotony of the food in Duncan Dining Hall during my years at Texas A&M from 1964 to 1968, my buddies and I frequently went to The Chicken Shack on South Texas Avenue between College Station and Bryan. It had good fried chicken, but its dinner rolls and honey were to die for! The Chicken Shack is long gone, but the memory remains.

Lt. Col. Michael “Mike” P. Hoffman ’68 
Windcrest, Texas

In 1976-77, I’d go to Bryan to a modest frame house called Mom’s, where an elderly lady would prepare homestyle meals for anyone willing to pay the $1 for all you could eat. Each room of the house had a large table. After the patrons filled the room, the staff brought out the homestyle meal and sweet tea. You had to get there early or risk not eating because it filled up pretty quickly. Good food as I remember.

Robert “Byron” Roach '77
Judson, Texas

The best meal I experienced at Texas A&M and in the Bryan-College Station area was the first meal my family enjoyed at the Memorial Student Center. As I remember, my lunch consisted of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, a dinner roll, tea and a slice of cake. The cost in spring 1963 was $1.65! In today’s inflated atmosphere, the same meal would probably cost between $15-20.

Lt. Col. John French ’68 (Ret.) 
Boerne, Texas

From 1965 to 1970, the best meal was chicken-fried steak at Wehrman’s. Nothing better!

Tony Dennis ’69
Wimberley, Texas

Mom’s was great, but Kesami Sandwich Shop on Northgate was our “go to” for a great hot pastrami. Youngblood’s was also on the list when parents were in town.

Ric Federwisch ’77
Waxahachie, Texas

Without a doubt, the best place in town in the early 1960s was Youngblood’s in Bryan. They had plain ole country food and the all-time favorite was the “Aggie Special,” which was a monster chicken-fried steak that hung over the plate. I think it was about $2 or so. None of us had any money, so we’d save up and go there for Sunday dinner. I’ve never had a better chicken-fried steak since!

Bob Christy ’67
Katy, Texas

La Taqueria was the best!

Jeff Montanye ’88
Fulshear, Texas

From 1956 to 1963, the best places were Wehrman’s for chicken-fried steaks and breaded veal cutlets, and Zarape Restaurant for enchiladas and Tex-Mex. I enjoyed my meals there!

James “Dan” Chapman ’60
Raleigh, North Carolina

My favorite meal was the barbecue I had at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q with my Texas A&M peers. Coming from Chicago, I wasn’t used to the picnic-style tables or food served on butcher paper on a metal tray, but the experience quickly won me over. The smoky flavor and delicious sides were outstanding, and it easily became one of my favorite meals during my time at Texas A&M.

Michael Herlache ’11
Scottsdale, Arizona

I used to take my girlfriend on dates to Swensen’s Ice Cream & Fine Foods back in 1990. They offered a coupon in The Battalion with a catchy line: two can dine for $4.99. It included two burgers, two fries and two shakes. We’ve been married for 36 years now!

Paul Deere ’92
College Station, Texas

While Tijuana fries at the Dixie Chicken or Layne’s Chicken Fingers were hard to beat, for a hungry college kid, nothing could beat the taste and amount of food you got by ordering the large chicken-fried steak meal at the Somerville Steak House. It was well worth the 30-minute drive!

William “B.J.” Tietze ’02
Spring, Texas

My favorite place was Mom’s in Bryan. There were five of us the first time we went in 1982, I believe. We sat down, and the food started rolling out on a cart. There was chicken-fried steak, meatloaf, green beans, corn, and mashed potatoes and gravy. For dessert, there was banana pudding. We couldn’t believe our eyes at such a spread. I think they had to call Tex Crane to come lift us out of there. What a bargain for $4.50 for all you could eat! There were a few other good places to eat, but this topped them all as there weren’t a whole lot of choices back then.

James Wayt ’84
White Oak, Texas

My best meal at Texas A&M from 1994-98 was the chicken tenders and fries at Fox & Hound!

Tiffany (Thompson) Wilmore ’98 ’99
Richmond, Texas

When I was at Texas A&M from 1978-82, my roommate and girlfriends and I loved heading over to “The Grapevine.” It was located in the Northgate area and had the best shrimp salad and twice-baked potatoes we’d ever tasted! Since the legal drinking age in Texas was 18 years old at that time, we occasionally enjoyed our feast with homemade Sangria. To this day, we still talk about that restaurant. Whoop!

Jenny (Dorsey) Johnson ’82
Grapevine, Texas

When I was at Texas A&M, it was the chicken-fried steak at Youngblood’s in Bryan.

Stew Bishop ’83
Austin, Texas