Great food and atmosphere. Awesome selection. Loved everything I've had except I will say their steak and cheese sandwich was lacking in flavor and size for the price wouldn't reccomend it specifically from personal experience.

Great home style food!! The service is great. They are really friendly. The owners will come to your table and talk with you. Not just a walk by asking"is your food" they actually take the time to talk with you. They even know your name if you've been there a few times. This place is a great comfortable place to eat!! It's worth your time to check it out.

Excellent food for a great price and the service is amazing. I would highly recommend it.

Stopped here for dinner, went because of the reviews and they did not mislead. Had a burger that was great and pecan pie like my grandma made. If you are in Henderson don't miss this place. Friendly people, great service and food.

Had hot roast beef sandwich with fries. It was great, just what you'd expect from a local diner. There was a buffet option and breakfast served all day. Service was fast and friendly. Regulars got a little extra attention

Very yummy and affordable breakfast fast and friendly waitresses. I recommend!

Excellent fried food- fried jalapenos, fried okra and fries catfish, that's what I tried and I loved it. Also, the rib eye steak was perfectly seasoned.

Great breakfast stop. Service was excellent 👌

Small town like cafe with good waitresses and good coffee ☕ BUT !!! The food was yuck ! Waffles of rubber and slim Jim chicken strips . I ordered coffee and changed it to Dr. Pepper I was double charged.... How unfair y'all ! No worries imma not a comin back there again 😁

Cute diner with a friendly staff and delicious lunch! We were in town for a funeral and wanted a place we could all come together for lunch after. So glad we found this little gem.

Stopped in around 11ish and was really wanting breakfast, Henderson Star Cafe DID NOT disappoint! Great food, huge portions and awesome service! Give them a try if you're ever in Henderson,TX.👍

Absolutely love this Cafe, one of the last great stands of the American Cafe as we knew it, they have great service, great food, and great prices. We always see someone we know and get to chat about the happenings in Rusk county. A true treasure in Henderson. Just read my original post above from 5 years ago, and guess what? It's still my favorite Cafe in Henderson.......weekends I'm off you can bet me and my wife will be there sometime Saturday morning 😉❤️❤️❤️

Good atmosphere. Reasonable prices. Ordered the “chicken kickers” , salad, and home made potato chips. The kickers are chicken poppers with cheese and jalapeño wrapped in bacon. The salad was not great……. However the kickers and chips made up for it. Highly impressed with the kickers. Couldn’t believe it when I saw and tasted it. Service was fast and spot on.

Great Little Cafe w/ Lunch Buffet and Creative Wall Art

Ole County Cafe atmosphere, friendly & promo service, excellent food

Best dang Cafe Buffett! Chicken fried steak was beyond good, the fried Chicken was among the best if had. I wish I lived closer to this place. It was DELICIOUS! Eat here when you can!

We have been coming to The Rusty Star for about 2 years now. ALWAYS a GOOD experience! Great meals for a reasonable price. Friendly, attentive staff. ALL behave like they enjoy being here. We have never had a bad experience! This little restaurant is at the top of our "go-to, friendly & dependable" places. KEEP ON BEING THE WAY YOU ARE FOLKS!!! We will continue seeing you AT LEAST once a week! This place and it's people really EARN our hard earned money!

Great food, great service. Real home cooking style!

I love to try new places especially if they are locally owned, and The Rusty Star Cafe was great! The food was delicious, they have a buffet and a great menu selection! The customer service was great, the waitress made sure our drinks were always full and that we had everything we needed! I would definitely recommend The Rusty Star Cafe to any one who is looking for a good place to eat, that has great food and reasonable prices too!

Went in for home cooking meal that I didn't have to cook. We ordered chicken fried chicken and chicken fried steak. Both were AMAZING sides were on point cream and brown gravy were awesome. Hand dipped fried mushrooms were delicious!! Service was GREAT!!

I have ate here twice, both times everything has been great. Last time I walked in at 2pm they were closing but let me order anyway and it was still good. Not cold and half cooked like alot of places would've done. Told them I would hurry and get on my way. They said " You take your time and enjoy your food". And to Wes Roberge you should've talked to the gentleman that cleans the tables. He wasn't mean mugging you he has some issues that would keep most people at home but is continuing to work!!!

Stopped in on a whim after cattle sale. Waitress nailed our orders perfectly-coffee 1st then drinks with our meal-no prompting whatsoever. It was late afternoon & very candid about buffet from lunchtime. Food was great & plentiful. Facilities clean & inviting. Will be a regular stop for us from now on.

It was good. I had the chicken fried steak sandwich. It was real cubed steak. It was hot, fresh and delicious. I want to add a couple of things to this earlier post. We have been coming here for at least 15 years. Their food is great. The waite staff are great. I have never gotten anything that wasn't good. We will continue to come back at least once a week..!

Had breakfast at Rusty Star Cafe this morning. They were busy but got seated right away. Atmosphere is just so so, the food took a while to get to table, but worth the wait. The pancake, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs were all very good, way better than average. Waitress very pleasant and efficient. Definitely a good place to eat in Henderson.

We just moved to Henderson from the DFW area and have been trying all the local restaurants to see how they fare. This one is by far our favorite so far! The chicken fried steak was amazing and the fried okra was fresh, not frozen. I can't even remember how long it's been since I had fresh fried okra. My husband got the sirloin steak and eggs and was expecting a flat, overcooked piece of leather as you tend to get at most small diners but his was thick, cooked to perfection and very tender. He can't stop talking about how soon he wants to go back to have it again. Our son had chicken tenders and fries and gave them both a solid 10/10. We opted to order off the menu, but next time we go we plan to try the lunch buffet which looked delicious. We'll be back many, many more times!

Best friend chicken buffet ever awesome awesome 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 10 stars All the way around great home cooked food u can't get anywhere anymore plus a wait staff that very very nice and friendly

To the point: it's a diner that has a bar area. Old fashioned service. Great and to the point

Love coming to this place everything i had so far has been homemade and delicious 😋 Nice people cozy atmosphere Cheese curds for an appetizer you will thank me

Always a great experience her and amazing food!

An older crowd that likes to unwind and sing karaoke. Austic friendly crowd too. I sung Hank Williams Jr.s "Country folk can survive."

Tried an awesome new restaurant tonight. Old school and home grown food! Excellent service too. -Tonya is wonderful! 🥳 A BIG thank you to the very kind gentleman who paid for our meal! What a great gesture from a total stranger! We truly appreciate it.

They're loaded hash browns are the best you ever have

Nice place to eat, very good food. And awesome service staff! Awesome 👌

Really good food and service was awesome!!! We were passing thru and stopped glad we did.

The breakfast buffet was delicious and it's a very cozy and relaxing atmosphere. The staff was very attentive and friendly. I really recommend this place. They also have a daily buffet.

The food was cooked perfectly. The serving sizes were large. The only drawback for the evening was the service. Poor waitress was by herself and was doing all the front end work.

This is all around fabulous. Good oh southern food. The waitress stays strapped and it gives you peace of mind, knowing that someone is armed if something goes wrong.

We were going through Henderson and found this cafe on Google. They had a Friday special buffet and we were in a hurry so we decided to try it. Everything we ate was Great!! The catfish, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy and gumbo were delicious and appeared to be made from scratch. My daughter said "we will have to come here again!". It's a 2 hour drive from home but I think we may have to take a quick road trip one day.

Good food. Little disappointed with the okra, but it was still edible and better than most restaurants. Pie had the best crust I have had in years. So light I had to keep my spoon on it so it wouldn't float away!

Came to town for a wedding. Ended up eating here 3 times. Great food and all the employees working to keep things clean and moving. We’ll be back!

Best Wings in town. Chelsea is the best. Love this place!

Very good food. They had generous portions. We had the chicken fried steak and yes you can cut it with a fork! We also had a burger with fries, and grilled chicken with veggies. Everything was great. Had good flavor to it. Tonya and Skylar were attentive to our drinks and making sure we had everything we needed. Very friendly and entertaining. We had our special needs daughter with us and they were really great with her. Some people don't know how to interact with our daughter but they were awesome. Most places are not that clean after a rush hour but this place was super clean. You could tell they enjoy their jobs and take pride in their work. We just moved to the area and believe we have found our new favorite place.

We stopped in today while passing thru town. We were pleasantly greeted and told to have a seat anywhere. Our server, Pooky, was prompt, friendly and professional. Our meals were delivered quickly, hot and property prepared. We had a great experience and if we pass through again we will definitely stop.

Great small town Cafe. Buffet on Friday for $16.00 with perfect fried catfish, green tomato relish, beans, gumbo! Great food and friendly waitstaff.

The BEST 16oz ribeye with eggs and hash browns! I wish ANY steakhouse in Michigan could cook a steak as tender and flavorful as these folks!! Honestly! If I lived in Texas I'd come here once a week for breakfast (I'd come daily, but the biscuits with half pound of butter might make me gain weight😉)

The wonderful lady that works on the establishment. Her name is Connie. She is a beautiful person. God bless you. Thank you so much for your service. The food is wonderful. It was so delicious.

Great place too eat not only is the food good, but the service is even better. Not only do they remember who you are, they always smile and take care of you very well

Aaron Lofton

Just good old fashion food. Had chicken fried steak with okra and mashed potatoes. Wife said hamburger was great as well. Will definitely eat there more often.

Amanda Wingert

Laid back atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, delicious home made food. Will be back!

Scotty Welland

I had to get a side order of the pigs in a blanket and I am glad I did. It was a wonderful addition to my scrumpdillyicious breakfast. Great friendly service and great food.

Beverly Stuart

Great ribeye, great breakfast. both waitresses were great and the place was clean. Will definitely go back when I’m back in the area

Lorrie Nelson

This was the first time we visited but it won't be our last! Good food, friendly service, it was worth the drive from Longview!

Joel Mosier

Stopped in on s Saturday and I was impressed. The staff was friendly and was always hustling. We had breakfast. Very good. Eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, toast, and coffee. They have a buffet M-F and Sunday.

Douglas Williams

I was happily surprised - I didn't even realize the Star Cafe was there. The place was clean and the staff were friendly. Seems to have a lot of regulars - staff seemed to know everyone. I had the buffet - came away totally full! They do have menu items, I may try that next time (after checking out the buffet). I enjoyed it!

Mike Scott

Love this place. My breakfast stop when returning home to Houston. Just a great basic cafe. Great food. Breakfast. Hash browns are cooked perfectly. Not greasy. Crisp. Same for eggs. They will cook pancakes to whatever size you want. The wait staff keeps the coffee coming. Old town service. They have a bar now which I have not tried. I did try the buffet. Good stuff. As good as grandma’s. You gotta visit.

James

Food was great. I had catfish with fries and okra. My wife had ribeye steak and it was so good. I tried it 😁. Little bit on the thin side 1/2” but had great char taste like it came off the grill. Only gave a 4 star on the atmosphere was every time someone open the front door a rush of hot air hit me. Sweet tea was great just ask for a lemon. Small town place with great food.

Theresa M. Hernandez

We will be back for sure! I didn't take a picture of the lunch buffet but it looked delicious. Even though my meal was good, I should have gotten the lunch buffet. They also serve breakfast so that's a plus.

Victor Ortiz

Wow! We came for the 1st time on Wednesday around 4 pm which the dinner buffet was opened…. Amazing, like sitting in their home cooking kitchen. Fried chicken, country fried steak, their gravy’s cornbread muffins…oh the cheesecake at the end… please 🙏 Thank you :) we’re from out of town passing through so glad we stopped.

a traveling Mom

Buffet was fresh. Cake was super moist and delicious. The bacon is thick and crispy. Eggs cooked to perfection. Friendly service. Definitely recommend.

Brandi Oldaker

Great food. The homemade onion rings and the open faced roast beef sandwich were spot on! Excellent service as well. I highly recommend checking out this place if you’re ever in the area.

+1

Sonya Meshque

Absolutely wonderful food and service. We are traveling through Henderson and had dinner here. There was not many options of places open being Christmas Eve, and I'm glad or we would have never found this place. Super good, highly recommend.

+7

Keith Proctor

A very American hometown cafe. Very friendly staff and clean. The prices were reasonable. They know how to properly bread a chicken-fried steak and the cream gravy was delicious. The fried catfish was generously breaded with cornmeal and meaty. At the end, we were offered refills on our drinks, but my wife was given the wrong drink and I didn't receive one at all. Otherwise, it was a good dining experience.

+9

Love the rustic decore, the service was good even though they seem to be short of shaft for the number of tables. It took a while to get the food because of a large order before us. The wait was worth it, it was the best breakfast platter I have had in quite a while. Seeing the lunch buffet made me want to come back for lunch if I hadn't been so stuff from all the breakfast platter. I will be a return customer!

You won't leave any other way but full. Great food, friendly staff and the atmosphere --even the other customers-- are inviting and pleasant. Plenty of food for every meal I've ever ordered. If you're looking for a medium-rare steak, I'm afraid you must look elsewhere. The first was difficult to cut with no color or juice so I returned it. 2nd was better but still almost medium-well. It isn't keeping me from returning, there are plenty other dishes to choose from.

Was at the Rusty Star for dinner before the first time just a few days ago it was so good had to go back for breakfast today. the wait staff is Top Shelf. Had the buffet for dinner everything was wonderful and had the western omelette for breakfast it was just like Mom used to make. I highly recommend this place for anybody who enjoys southern cooking and great service

The food was very fresh here. Great burgers and french fries. They are also okay with made to order rather than just what they have on the menu. If you want a waist buster you may not finish I suggest asking for the Ernest burger. Its not on the menu but ordering a double angus with everything is a sure way of getting super full! Good luck finishing it though!

It's exactly what the title say a rusty cafe. Definitely a local hot spot die to the buffet. Stopped in during our stay for a baseball tournament and we weren't disappointed. Home cooking. We Had the club sandwich, Philly cheese steak and chicken tenders everything was good. Brown gravy was excellent! Give it a 4 star cause we only received one menu per table and had to take it home but only 1 of out of 5 workers were wearing a mask and he was in the kitchen. The waitress put BBQ sauce that was unused but given to another customer back in the fridge but we were only given one menu for the table. Lol

County style cooking serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with breakfast served all day. Daily buffet and menu ordering.

First time to Star Cafe this morning me and the wife out for a motorcycle ride. We found that the wait staff was good. The food was pretty much like most hometown cafés. The wife's scrambled eggs were nothing to brag about but the omelet that I had was good I enjoyed it. Atmosphere is like any normal small town cafe basic seating and decent food. I will be willing to try it again someday if we are passing through again.

Great place to have breakfast, I hear all of their food is amazing. I had eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and toast. Simple breakfast, but I'm picky. I have to have my eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon cooked a certain way, and the waitress didn't get frustrated with me as I gave her the details. It was extremely busy, but she was kind. When our food came out, everything was perfect, which never happens. Inevitably, something is made wrong almost anywhere I eat, but not here. The atmosphere was bland. It was very tight for my wheelchair and I couldn't get my wheelchair in the restroom. Overall, I would definitely go back and get some delicious breakfast or maybe stop in and try their lunch. If you are driving through Henderson, stop by The Star Cafe and fill your belly.

Stopped here for supper on a Saturday evening. I ordered a salad and club sandwich. Food was decent, service was good. Appears to be a local gray hair hangout.

Good hometown diner. We got food off the menu the buffet was not open. The food was good and tasted homemade. The owner was friendly, and asked us several times how everything was. Service was good and fast.

Felt very welcomed when I walked in. Plenty of seating at 1:45pm. I had the lunch buffet. All of the food tasted great but the pot roast, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, fried zucchini, and the fried chicken were not hot. Barely warm. Gravy, macaroni and cheese, and the green were very hot. Even though the greens were hot, they were extremely salty. I couldn't finish them. I always try and visit a local diner when traveling. It's my hope they make the needed adjustments.

The food was good and service was good too. But expensive for what we got. I got a chicken sandwich only and tea and it was almost $20. My daughter got a cheese burger, fries and a tea and it was over $20. We went back and tried again and yep expensive....for 3 of us to have 3 sandwiches, 2 sides, (fries & onion rings) and 3 drinks it was almost $70.

Doug Raas

Close parking was a challenge as I had someone with a walker with me. But once inside, everything was really good. The server was attentive, and the food was good. Portions were decently sized as well. And the prices were about what I expected.

John Davis

The Star Cafe is one of a few diners in East Texas that has pie. The chicken fried steak was delicious and tender. Real ingredients make for great food! The buttermilk and the coconut cream pies were very good.

Keri Cossey

Quiet little cafe right off 79 in Henderson. Was looking for a buffet and this showed up No buffet though. Food was good. Had chicken fried steak, fries and a side salad. Good price and friendly service. The sweet tea was very good.Fries was great!

Gave it a try. Biscuit was not tender or tasty. Hash browns were bland. Omelet was a bit greasy. It was clean, quiet. Service was friendly. Overall, the food really didn't make us think it was worth the 25 minute drive. Maybe it was just an off day when we visited.

Our waitress was quick and prompt. The other waitress was drinking an energy drink while on the floor. The chicken fried steak sandwich was served hot and fresh but the meat wasn't pounded out so it was tough to eat. Buffet option wasn't worth it.

My coworkers had a horribly experience for lunch. I ordered a BLT sandwich and they gave me the bacon from the morning then tried to heat it up and actually burnt it. The steaks were horrible. All the food was cold. The manager and staff was nice. Everybody was unsatisfied and they still charged for the steaks. They only took of 3-4 dollars off. I guess the night cook is better

Rusty Star cafe visit. We had chicken fried steak dinner from menu, it was good, fried okra was good, the mashed potatoes really bad. Potatoes were watery, cheap tasting instant, no flavor, no season, no butter. Gravy had very little flavor. People were nice. My daughter used restroom and said it was really dirty and she is not one to complain. I was really looking forward to eating here, they had such great reviews and we had to be in Henderson, Tx. When we left I kept thinking, I sure wish we hadn't eaten there, not great.

Edit: Apparently there has been yet another transfer of ownership. As food quality rapidly declines, and portions get smaller, the prices continue to rise. I fear this could be the end for us. I've been eating a pretty regular breakfast here since I was a child and it was Denny's. I've watched it transition many times and the most recent transition to The Rusty Star has been the best. The food is great and the service is always on point. Also with recent renovations, the atmosphere is the most inviting it has ever been.

NOT VETERAN FRIENDLY. Had a reunion with my Navy brother's here for breakfast. Thought we could meet here on the regular but..... Giving this place 2 stars only because the food was brought to our table fast & it was tasty. Other then that, the atmosphere of the place wasn't very welcoming. Luke warm personalities from our waitresses, to paying the bill but what really bothered me was the guy cleaning up our table. Not once but twice, the guy gave me a disgusting look. I never said a word to the guy during our whole time there and I get this look of..... Why are you here in this restaurant. Like I was a second class American. I went overseas serving proudly for our country and received better treatment in foreign countries. I'll tell you this much, just because I clearly don't look like a local doesn't mean the employee's here should treat people like your lower then dirt. This military veteran will take his business else where for now on.

We ate here yesterday 1-31-2025 at 12:30.Food wasn't very good. Fish was cold and mashed taters were cold. Tater soup wasn't good. Chicken fired steak was tough. We told the waitress after we finished eating. She said they had a different cook. Please get the regular cook back. Keep your food warm or hot.

Emily Beall

My family and I have been regulars at The Star for quite some time, usually visiting at least once a week. Until now, we’ve always enjoyed excellent food and top-notch service. However, during our visit on 3/31/25, I was really disappointed. I ordered the chicken strips for $16, and the portion was extremely small, which felt like poor value for the price. On a positive note, the French fries were great, as always. When I mentioned the issue to our waitress, she was very understanding and apologized, agreeing that the portion size was not acceptable. She took my plate to the back and returned a few minutes later with an offer to cook more chicken. While I truly appreciated the gesture, I didn’t want to wait another 30 minutes for the additional food. In the end, I paid the full price, though I understand this situation was beyond the waitress's control, and she handled it as best as she could.

Good food and service. But you added 10% to my bill without telling me ahead of my order. Very Bad business model. Prices should as posted on the menu. Tell people as they order a 10% surcharge well be added and watch them turn around and leave. That's why you don't tell anyone!!!

I was very disappointed with the service this evening. Our waitress was rude. She cussed in front of my young grandbabies and threw the straws down on the table. We had 4 adults and 3 kids. When we got our food. We left without eating. Had to go to McDonald's to get the kids happy meals. I have never had bad service at this restaurant until tonight.

This place has always had great service, food was good. BUT.... TONIGHT, WAS the worst. We waited forever to get our order taken. The trainee was chewing gum. We watched a customer wait for 30 minutes with a salad , no eating utensils. As we are waiting I look over and see one of the cooks, put food in his mouth while preparing the food. We were never checked on until we pushed our plates away from us. The new dish shrimp fried rice was not good. I ordered half got a full order. Lost customers

Today we went to the restaurant it was 5 adults 7 children they were packed so we didnt panic over our order being wrong. What was delivered was good and this is a regular eating establishment for our family however we will never return I was brought the bill went to pay as I was paying a lady walked up with another receipt handed it the lady checking me out not to me did not bother to explain there had been a change that we were being charged on our bill a tip it was not posted and I did ask. Had it been handled properly nothing would have been said mistakes happen. However how this was handled made us feel like we were being taken advantage of sad thing is our waitress was great but I refused to leave a tip on the table due to how this was handled each adult had intended to leave a ten dollar bill there was 5 of us 😢 go figure they lost money today due to their greed. I understand they are there to make money but handle your business professionally not like your out to rip people off.. Also side Note:: Our tickets were originally separated we combined them due to their machine was messing up and they had a huge line at several points

John Sandoval

Haven’t been here in about eight months, they must have gotten a new cook, worst pancakes I’ve ever had, one side burnt and other side undercooked, sausage was warm at best only thing that was good was the waitress was very friendly.