Mama’s Cafe returns to its tasty roots

In an age when restaurants are constantly evolving, chasing trends and fishing for that next over-the-top Instagrammable dish, a return-to-your-roots ethos can almost seem quaint. But at the newly reopened Mama’s

Cafe, it’s a timeless taste of Texas that takes the cake — or steak, in this case.

After nearly two years of extensive renovations, Mama’s opened its doors in May with a menu of comfort food classics, and its take on chicken-fried steak is one of the best versions of that beloved plate landing on tables right now in San Antonio.

This particular version of chicken-fried steak ($18) hits the Goldilocks principle right on the nose. Not too big, not too small, with spot-on seasoning and just the right balance of sides — you get to pick two but mashed potatoes should, naturally, be one of those — and creamy gravy laced

with flecks of black pepper.

And oh, that crunchy crust. The craggy shell on this chickenfried steak was fried a degree or two darker than I’m used to seeing in area restaurants, resulting in an exceptionally savory

bite that delivered oodles of satisfying snap. The beef under that crust sported spots of deepbrown caramelization as well, a welcome improvement on a dish that often relies purely on crispy fried batter over a sad, gray slab of bland meat.

Beef, in general, gets reverential treatment at the new iteration of Mama’s Cafe. A slogan posted on the wall in the dining room reads, “While there’s a steer left in Texas you’ll find the best part of him here.”

I absolutely found that to be the case in my patty melt ($16) made of top-shelf ground beef from 44 Farms, the Cameron, Texas-based farm noted as one of the nation’s top producers of Black Angus beef. Topped with caramelized onions in a creamy sauce and seared jalapeños, it was a spicy and savory order that was a celebration of old-school diner fare with contemporary Texas attitude.

A side note: Mama’s Cafe has a complicated legacy. Cappy Lawton of Cappy’s Restaurant, Cappyccino’s and La Fonda on Main, launched Mama’s in 1981 before handing over the reins to multiple operators in 1988. Lawton reclaimed the property in 2019 before giving the restaurant a significant makeover, complete with a backyard beer garden boasting a small waterfall and shaded tables under a large tree. And one significant holdover from those years — a fried mushroom appetizer ($7 for a small order, $11 for large) — remains intact.

Served with both scratchmade ranch dressing and the same creamy gravy you’ll find on the chicken-fried steak, there’s a reason people dream about these simple-but-perfect battered and fried mushrooms. They’re a perfect excuse to indulge in an appetizer and a few cocktails from their thoughtful new bar menu, even if you don’t have the appetite for a chicken-fried steak.

Mama’s Cafe, 2442 Nacogdoches Road, 210-826-8303, mamascafesa.com, Facebook: @mamascafesa. Hours: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday

Paul Stephen / Staff The chicken-fried steak at Mama’s Cafe sports a crunchy crust, great meat and tasty sides.