Second time here on our way to Dallas. Great service and good food.

We went on a Friday, and the lunch special was the fried catfish. We ordered three, and that was one of the best we ever had in Texas! It was fresh, cooked to perfection, and tasteful. We were six people, and everything we ordered, plus the sides, was excellent. It took some time to get everything done, but we had no complaints, as everything was fresh. We are definitely stopping again.

This was a delicious delightful place to stop and eat. Staff was very polite and the food was absolutely perfect!!

Dropped by while driving through, and we absolutely loved the home-cooked tasting food (even forgot to take pictures) and hospitality. Our waitress was very accommodating and helped us with several suggestions. The restaurant was very well kept, and the restrooms were very clean. The atmosphere was very soothing with country music playing in the background.

Good value, good food, good service. If you leave the lunch buffet hungry it was your own fault

So amazing! The food is homemade delicious and the people are really nice.

Very nice place to eat and relax with friends

Absolutely fantastic in every regard. The restaurant and kitchen were very clean, the food was well-seasoned and fresh - absolutely delicious. The service was impeccable: the staff was attentive, and the young lady that served us was very pleasant - her amazing service was more than worth a 50% tip. The atmosphere is great - it feels every bit the local restaurant while being a better experience than any big city restaurant I've been to. The only negative to the entire experience was that another table nearby seemed decidedly unhappy at the presence of my hispanic wife before they left. Thankfully, the staff didn't share their sentiment, and was perfectly friendly. Overall, it's worth more than one visit, easily, and I'll be stopping in every time I pass through.

This is a small town restaurant with a cozy atmosphere. Shelby or servicer was excellent. There were 7 in group. So we got to order different lunch items from hamburgers, sandwiches, and fried catfish. We also tried the fried pickles and onion rings. Everyone enjoyed their meal. Next time, I am definitely going to have lunch here when going through Madisonville, TX.

Food and experience was amazing. The waitress was extremely sweet. The food had season an was fresh an hot. We live in dallas we will make a trip back just to come back. Thank you kindly.

Great food! Very friendly staff. Beautiful country restaurant.

First time eating here and was very impressed with the food and service. Super friendly servers and chicken fried steak was huge and delicious. Ordered the 8 oz portion and it seemed like 16 oz. 😳 Fried okra looked homemade and very tasty. Mashed potatoes and white gravy was excellent. Definitely a wonderful place to eat. 😁

Oh goodness! This place rocks chicken fried steak!! The service are most delightful and the menu is for Everyone

Cheeseburger, fries, and a Dr Pepper were very good. The service was outstanding. The lighting is weird. Kind of dim. I'd go back again.

Been once and it was great. We had breakfast for dinner, lol, omlette and Belgium waffles. Good portion size, fast and really tasty. One person got onion rings and they were perfect. Super nice staff. Saw people picking up catfish for dinner so will try that next time. Small town feel. Don't waste your money getting wrapped junk from the beaver, stop and get some great food while taking a break after coming from or before heading into Houston fray. - IF THIS REVIEW WAS HELPFUL, PLEASE GIVE IT A THUMBS UP! -

Good food, good prices, good service!

very nice quiet place to relax and enjoy some great food.

Great place to stop. I had the grilled chicken sandwich and fries. Very filling. Down home restaurant. Just walk in and find a seat. I like supporting the local places. Great atmosphere and plenty of food for the $$$

Country living! Food was honestly great!!! I didn’t want anything fried but we still got the zesty cheese and I had to try a “Texas Philly”. Must have been great because I inhaled it!! It’s super quaint and it looks like locals and passer throughs come stop in. Much more worth any fast food stop!!!

The best chicken fried steak we have ever had. The grilled veggies and mashed potatoes were excellent also. This was our first visit here. We will be back!!

Absolutely amazing service. The sweetest people on the planet work here and the food is DELICIOUS! Great people and the manager even let our non-profit come by and tell the employees about our program. This is overall a fantastic family restaurant and for any age group with any appetite.

Best burger I’ve had in a while!! Lunch special $10 cheeseburger and beer battered onion rings (+1.50) top notch 💯👌

This was the best place! We were coming off the highway, hungry, and a ways to go before we got home. The food was hot, really good, and reasonably priced. The owner was so appreciative of us coming there, just very welcoming. The service was very fast, and we will definitely come here again!

The food is delicious and the service is good, the people nice over all 10 out of 10. If I wasent on vacation id come back again

Enjoyed this restaurant very much. The staff did a great job and the food was good.

+4

This is a great place to go out with friends or family. Great food and kind people. I recommend the Chicken Sandwich, it is soo..good. I order this almost every time. Definitely need to stop by when you are in town!

Somewhere between here and there, my wife and I stopped in. We were absolutely famished. We were met by friendly staff and the restaurant was clean and inviting. Chicken fried and okra are highly recommended. If you are in the area, this place is worth the stop.

We stopped here traveling between Houston and Dallas. The little one wanted a burger, mom was car sick and dad didn't want "fast food". This little place was perfect for all of us and very reasonable price! Cheeseburger, hamburger steak and a grilled chicken salad. All very yummy and the best blackberry cobbler to top it off!

Nice atmosphere, fast service. Great home made biscuits. Food was very good. Worth stopping by.

We couldn't tell if it was open on Sunday but went in and was apparently there before the church crowd. Service was great food was delicious and restaurant was very clean. Will definitely recommend and will go back when we travel that way.

This is always a must whenever we roll through. Food is like they served in the diner in the little Minnesota town where I grew up. The service is always great because it’s not zoned for the servers - if a server sees you need something, they get it, right away. It’s not a date place or anything fancy, just the basics.

We stopped for a burger… but lady walking out said she highly recommended he fried catfish. It may well be the best catfish I’ve ever had! (And I’m from La). And great onion rings!

Great place for a lunch in Madisonville. We decided to bail on McDonald's and give this restaurant a chance and so glad we did. My wife had a burger and onion rings and I had the buffet of salad liver & onions, potatoes and green beans and sweet tea. Tasted as good as my granny's cooking. So do good. Highly recommend. Will be stopping again on my trips to Houston from Ft Worth.

+2

Someone in town recommended this place to me, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the chicken fried steak breakfast and it did not disappoint. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great. The atmosphere was clean, comfortable, and welcoming. I also really appreciated that they serve breakfast until 11, which is what brought me in. I’d definitely recommend this spot to anyone looking for a solid late breakfast option.

Wendel Bordelon

Really enjoyed the food and bonus is it is a nice country restaurant and not another fast food place along the hiway. I had the chicken fried steak lunch special which was very tasty and just right for lunch. I have added this place to my food along the road when traveling list.

Debbie Ussery

Excellent food! The beef is locally sourced and boy can you tell. The cheeseburger was so good. This place would be a regular spot if we weren't passing through.

Regina Walker

Nostalgic little restaurant located right off the interstate with friendly service and fresh hot food!

Angel Hooker

Stopped by for dinner while traveling! Thr food was amazing!! The local older gentleman. Don, was interesting and quite talkative. He was a great addition while we had dinner. The waitress was awesome!!

Nubia Carvajal

On our way back to Dallas we stopped for breakfast. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and we selected our table. The waitress was friendly and immediately took our order. My husband ordered the French Toast and I had the Philly Cheese Steak omelette. My husband gave the French Toast a 4.5 and I gave the omelette a 5.0. The food was delicious and freshly cooked. Staff is friendly, the place is clean and the prices are good. We would definitely return.

Andre Evans

Awesome home cooked food, at fast food prices. The peach cobbler, with ice cream......to die for!

A Parker

We stopped by here on the way to Galveston. I got a patty melt, which was great, and they let me substitute fried squash for french fries. My husband had chicken fried chicken and it was also good. Lunch specials for $10. Food was fast, waitress was great! Food came out quick, even though it was a busy Sunday noon time, which let us get on our way in good time

Jennifer Harvell

Stopped by for breakfast on a road trip home from Houston. Easy access from I-45. Food was fantastic and staff was friendly. My husband had the chicken fried steak and says it’s one of the best he’s had. We will stop back by again!

Leighanna Buckett

Drove in from out of town looking for a quick dinner. Forgot to take a photo because it was really good! My husband got the AYCE catfish. Probably the best catfish we’ve had in a long time. Big fillets flavorful batter! I had a huge chicken fried steak- it was a little tough but still very good! Food was hot and fresh - service was quick and attentive

Yosry F Aly

This plate was very satisfying and comforting. The fried steak was cooked just right with a nice crunch and flavorful gravy on top. The fried okra was fresh and crispy, a great side. The mashed potatoes with brown gravy were smooth and rich, and the toast added a nice touch. Everything was clean, gentle on the stomach, and felt like real comfort food — great for anyone needing something easy to digest. A well-balanced and enjoyable meal.

Matt Motet McCord

Nice local cafe! Huge portions and good prices. Southern comfort food. The fried pickles order must have been an entire jar of pickles! The family had grilled chicken, a club sandwich and steak fingers as well. No complaints. Definitely a good option to stop by for if you're avoiding overly processed fast food chains.

Linn Inglis

My food was delicious and my daughters looked good. My friends looked so delicious as well, but she got a bacon cheeseburger minus the bun and though it looked delicious the cheese wasn't even melted on the burger. She said it tasted amazing but she did end up pulling the cheese off because it was just cold sitting on top. Other than that the food was good. Service was fast and staff was fast and friendly.

The chicken fried steak was very good. The breading was crisp and the meat was juicy. The mashed potatoes were cold. If you like your steak and potatoes with generous gravy, ask for an extra side of gravy.

Food was great. Country cooking. I had the hamburger steak. The only problem, I took my service dog in and she is very well behaved and trained, She was perfect during our visit, but the waitress seemed angry. Just curt. Like she was waiting on her to mess up. Nope. She seemed to lighten up after we were there a while. But still. I would go back.

Haven't been here in awhile. got catfish dinner ,lots of cornmeal the fish was thin a bit on the lean greasy side. tea had a sour or off taste. Was the best fish in town a few years ago. not so sure now.

Service was kind, but the kitchen was too slow. Waited 40 minutes for an omelet and a 2 egg breakfast. Ham should've been in the omelet but was on the side; it was still good though but very average for a hometown diner spot. Their biscuits are amazing! Golden and flaky on top. Yum! Good coffee. It's decorated really nice, beautiful wood walls and decor. Not sure why it's named LakeSide, no lake around that I could see.

Stopped for lunch. Had the catfish meal and a hamburger. The fish was very good, the burger was also good but a little dry (not greasy). Love the "solid wood" interior, great vibes, but the unpadded chair backs were a little hard on my old spine. We travel 45 enough that we'll be back.

My wife was upset because the salad bar was full on gnats and the chicken steak, mashed potatoes and orka was delicious! But the peach coobler was the worst I ever tasted! No favor, watery and not thick and crusty! It would have tasted better if it were cooked longer! I'm sorry but I am giving a honest review and we took everything to go because it was way too hot in there.. I was almost sweating! But the people working there was very friendly 🙂...we did leave them a tip!

Good variety of lunch deals. Will return.

The hamburger was very good but the service was slow and we never received part of our order but they still tried to charge us for it.

Our waitress was amazing. We were rather large group but she handled it well. The kitchen ran out of a few things, but it was okay. The potions were large and good. My fries definitely weren't cooked long enough, but tasted okay.

Food was great! We were greeted when we came in & the staff was very nice (although, kind of inattentive once we were seated). This place definitely has a chicken fried steak that was worth the time to visit from out of town. The jalepeno strips were very tasty with the ranch. Overall it was a nice place & my husband & I enjoyed our lunch. We look forward to coming back.

Cathy Laizure

Overall, good food, good service. Atmosphere was lacking. Assuming it was the owner sitting in the corner nose to the papers. Would like to see owners/mgrs get out and interact with customers. Don't see that at all anymore. As a former restaurant owner, I can tell you, you are losing out by not being visible. You lose touch with what your customers want/need. Nice option in a small town though

Sherry Hoyt

Place was busy, it was a Saturday. Staff were friendly and professional. I got chicken fried steak, French fries and fried okra, it was all great. I would gladly dine here again if I did not live an hour and a half away

Tried the large chicken fried steak with fried squash and corn nuggets as it was advertised as one of their best dishes. The large chicken fried steak was the size of most restaurants small chicken fry and was average while the corn nuggets still had a frozen taste. Service was good and the restaurant was clean.

Our server was very sweet and attentive. Our catfish was pretty good too when we finally got it after an hour. Floors were dirty, especially the sticky bathroom floors but the ladies were doing the very best they could considering how short staffed they were.

I stopped here with my family for lunch before heading back home a couple hours away. The atmosphere was homey but we were greeted at out table by our waitress and she wasn't very friendly. Her face even looked as if she didn't want to be there and just hated her job. She was friendly to a table with some older men but any time she walked away from that table she had that rude face on. Our service was horrible. We all ordered different food and we have no complaints. The hamburger steak I ordered was good. The others enjoyed their burgers, fish and chicken fried steak as well. I wish the workers were more friendly. They could have an awesome business going on if they were. Everyone loves a good cafe.

My son and I used to go here daily for the daily special. The food is very good and staff is good. Then they stopped having salad with the chicken fried steak with same price. Next week did away with daily special, so we havent been back.

Food was excellent! Our waitress was amazing, constantly checking to see if we needed anything, refills. The only complaint I have is, they have a gratitude tip for larger groups. I would like to tip how I feel is appropriate.

Just a median run of the mill restaurant. Good food, good place. 2nd visit: Tried again, this time with my wife, fish is wonky, my toast was burnt, and it's hot as hell inside here. Maybe they should fire the ac guy. Still consider this median grade food. No better, no worse.

Courtney Guerrero (PrettyNPinkPanther)

No frills diner offering basic diner fare. We had breakfast here and it was okay. Husband ordered the shortstop pancakes and said they were fluffy and portion size was good. I had the western omelet with hash browns. Tasted fine but they don't chop the veggies well as they were chunky. The hash browns were swimming in oil and left a puddle of oil on the plate. On the upside, the biscuit was terrific, soft and fluffy inside and flaky on the outside.

Daniel Allen (D.A.)

I didn’t want leave a bad review because the food was cooked perfectly. The problem is that fish was terrible. I saw the billboard in the freeway and thought the fish would have to be fantastic. It was not. It was frozen and probably not catfish. Seemed like it was swai. They swapped it out for a chicken fried chicken. Even the terrible fish was perfectly fried. Fried okra was great, hush puppies were great. Box macaroni was terrible though. Make sure you get something fried if you come, just not the fish

Excellent food! We had French toasts, pancakes, country fried steak, chicken tenders, scrambled eggs, bacon, and cat fish. The food was tasty and hot hence the 2 stars. The service though, regrettably unsatisfactory and unwelcoming. Our waitress was a short stubby lady with long hair who barely acknowledged us. She handed hot plates to my 6 and 7 year olds from across the table vs safely setting them on the table as it’s normally done. The other tall, older, slim lady was very friendly and as well as polite you can clearly see the wisdom of her years. Over all, If I was in e area, I would definitely visit again but I’d make sure we aren’t placed with the same waitress.

Waitress was great when she was around the people next to us had to go request refills at the employees area. Daughters mac and cheese smell/tasted sour like the milk was bad and I had some nasty lettuce on my burger and it was missing the tomato probably for the best. Wife had fish she reported good and boys had chicken strips. When we drove up a lady leaving said dont eat the steak fingers they're freezer burned. Guess we should've ran.

Food was ok I got a blt wanted an extra side paid $3.40 for an extra side and I order corn nuggets and got 8 total!!! We always eat at local places but .42 per nugget is crazy. Also charge me 20% for a party of 8!

We went for breakfast. The waffles and French Toast were fine, the fried eggs were just edible, and the grits were cold and Had no flavor at all. I could see the kitchen staff eating while cooking and the prices were big city prices not country whole in the wall.

Hands down the worst chicken fried steak I've ever had. Mashed potatoes had no salt and the corn was Brown from being cooked all day long. No Saving Grace at this place

The portions were small for the price. The salad bar had brown and wilted lettuce, what little was there. The peaches of the bar were bad. Not much selection to choose from

It was hot inside the building even with thier dirty A/C units on. The bathroom didn’t have A/C at all so the door had to stay open while I went into the stall. The waitress wasn’t very attentive we had to flag her down for everything and there were only 1 other table there. I asked for a box and she didn’t even ask my husband if he wanted one too. My chicken fried chicken looks like it was a left over grilled chicken from the lunch rush that was then battered and fried. Everything is home made just not made well.

They don't never to come to table Ask if you need something . Once they give you the food. they never come back at least this young girl did it she's unexperienced and needs to learn to be more accommodating to be a good waitress

Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram at SNDTravels Great reviews encouraged us to take the time and make this stop for dinner. I had the small chicken fried steak and Diane had the steak fingers (real diversity). I am a chicken fried steak connoisseur so when the reviews said it was one of the best I had to have it. My sides were okra and $2 extra for 1 trip to the salad bar for my second. Diane said that her first couple of steak fingers were crisp but the rest were just undercooked enough to be a little soggy. The flavor was almost comparable to DQ. The french fries were flavorless and just ok. The toast was perfect. My 4oz. steak was covered in a 10oz sized breading that was crispy and good flavor, however the steak was flavorless and very run of the mill. The gravy was acceptable. The okra I requested extra crispy but came out soggy. The okra itself had a good flavor but I can't take soggy. The salad bar was the best part. Everything was very fresh and enjoyable. The service was friendly and attentive. Overall it was just an average country restaurant. Not bad but not great.

+1

Parker Shalley

Just go eat at bucees. There were older men who are only interested in the waitress and that made the experience a whole lot worse. The food came out cold and almost uncooked. I dont know what is worse this or horsebreakers down the road. So many other good fast food or gas stations near by.

Morgan Bridges

The food was just not really good. The fried pickles were passable, the Mac and cheese was ok, and the gravy was actually good. But I had chicken fried steak, and it was overcooked, so overwhelmingly greasy, and had what seemed like zero seasoning. I get my gravy on the side and normally just dip occasionally, but I had to use it to be palatable. My wife had the grilled chicken, and it was equally bland. The servers were polite, but inattentive. And the place was just kinda dark. Honestly just some different cooking techniques would greatly elevate this place.

Elizabeth Borgman

First and last time …we weren’t greeted like others. I ordered the cheeseburger basket… the waitress dl got my order wrong, never came back to see how we were doing ! The burger was good the fries were terrible old and tasted like oil and definitely not fresh. We got the fried pickles and they were good but very very greasy .My husband got the catfish, it was good but his fries and hush puppies were overcooked. Disappointed

Just left. Waited over 20 min and waitress did not come back to take order while 3 other tables orders were taken by their waitresses. She was very unfriendly and had a bad attitude from the time she stopped by our table. She placed the menus on the table with no greeting and said she would return. I have been here before and food was great. However due to her bad service, left . Hopefully the owners will see this review and talk to their waitresses about this.

We stopped here on our way to Dallas from Houston. We arrived at 630 and walked out at 8 which is closing time. The server was nice but inexperienced in how to be transparent with customers. After we sat there for an hour, we were told that there was only one cook and that was the reason for the delay. This was after I had to ask how much longer it was going to be. Once the food arrived, everyone started eating aside from me. I had to wait another 15 minutes before I received mine. The server brought my food out and said she could melt the cheese if I wanted her to. I asked her how it was supposed to be served and she said melted. When she brought it back it was scolding hot as if it was microwaved. I was trying to finish my plate as my family was standing up getting ready to leave. I burned my mouth trying to eat so we could continue our drive home. All this could have been avoided if she would have told us from the beginning there would be a long wait. We could have eaten at pizza hut next door. Completely unacceptable

The place was freezing. There was a stale odd smell inside. The food was horrible and the service was worse. Cold mashed potatoes that were dry, no flavor in chicken fried steak. Waste of money and time. Take down the billboard sign on the interstate.

Food was very greasy and did not have seasoning. My dad had a cheeseburger with onion rings and he said the onion rings were not seasoned and just tasted like flour. His burger was very greasy. I had friend catfish that didn’t taste like anything. I had fried okra as a side but it didn’t taste like much. We both had grease pudding in our plates. The service was fantastic and the decor was charming. If the food can be made to not be where grease puddles in a dish and be seasoned then I think this restaurant could be a winner.

My husband and I came to Madisonville to visit my son and decided to eat here. Our service was 😔. My son ate all of his hamburger and most of his fries until he found a bug in the fries. I barely ate any of chicken fried steak after seeing that I lost my appetite. Let the manager know about the bug and she is definitely not a good manager. She argued about what kind of bug it was finally said she would take it off the ticket and basically through the basket back on the table in front of him. Just a bad experience all together. We definitely won't go back. Also I had to get up every time to ask the waitress for anything she never offered to refill our teas or my son's soda. 👎👎

Poor customer service my waitress looks like she tweaking out I get a burger with no bun on the bottom and I ordered fries still haven’t seen them won’t ever come back use to be a decent place not anymore there is my burger that got brought out to me

I was not impressed. My hamburger steak was extremely small, which would have been fine IF there had been grilled onions on top, but there weren’t. And one of my sides was a salad, which I did not get until I got my food. I was expecting it so I could eat it while I was waiting. Our waitress had to have been new or something. Her response when she finally brought my salad was “oh, I’m sorry, I forgot.” And as for our waters, if we hadn’t asked for a refill of water we wouldn’t have gotten any more. I was not impressed at all. I will not be back.

The food wasn't bad but our server McKayla was super rude. We had a service dog and I'm not sure if that was want it was but definitely uncalled for. I would skip this place and go next door to Pizza Hut

Customer service was outstanding..food not so much. I truly just found out why the parking lot was so empty. To me Lakeside food is very disgusting. And I wouldn't ever recommend. lost 54$ for 2 adults and two kids only ate less than 1% of food off our plates..never again.

This was my second time stopping at this place. This is a meeting spot where we pick up our grandkids. We always like to stop at a restaurant and eat the first time we stopped there they had catfish on special so all five of us sit down and ordered catfish Unfortunately the waitress charged us for the catfish meal instead of the special so that was kind of disappointing the first time but the food was good and we let it go. The next time we stopped there they brought us tea that was sour we had to send it back. It took about 15 minutes for her to bring us something else to drink, and then the food came out. None of us finished our plate my hamburger steak was super super dry and was supposed to come with mushrooms and onions and had no mushrooms. The meat had a weird taste to it and was gray on the inside. My husband ordered the chicken fried steak which he always eats all of his meal all the food he took about five bites and knew right then something was wrong with the meat. The chicken fried steak also had a weird smell to it. He also ordered fried okra that when we bit into the okra, it was like raw like it barely was in the grease any time at all really disgusting.. my daughter ordered the steak fingers and right when they got set on the table I told her they look like they’ve been in there way too long and after she ate one, she realized I was right they were terrible. I would not recommend anyone eaten at this place at this point. I’m worried about my family getting sick. I normally wouldn’t say nothing about the food, but I felt like something needed to be said so I told the waitress how terrible the food was and I got no response except for the ticket so I paid $60 for a few drinks .

Hard to rate them highly when they got my order wrong then charged me for the wrong, more expensive item that I didn't eat. Can't recommend and won't be back

Food was terrible under cooked and couldn’t eat it .. I spent 40.00 on food not cooked correctly and the cheese wasn’t even melted and had hard spots showing it was old

Camron Campbell

They brought back the lunch specials but watch your receipt because they don't charge you correctly . Last 3 times I've been charged for the dinner when I bought the lunch special. I've brought it up to them but they keep doing it the next time I come in so it seems like it's on purpose . You will uod think a country restaurant or you be honest on prices but nearly Everytime in the past 6 months I've gone there there has been a issue with the charging. I give up will go somewhere else . You guys have lost a long term family over this