City Cafe

This is my 2nd visit, but I forgot to leave a review the 1st time. I ordered the chicken and waffles & a side of scrambled eggs. My sister ordered a cheese omelet, grits and waffle. The service was slow (it was pretty packed), but the food was good and the waitresses were nice. I would definitely go back.

I read good reviews on FB so I decided to try this place when I was in the area. Ordered fried chicken steak as they said it’s their specialty. The portion is huge but the batter was not as crispy as i expected. It comes with 2 large sides. The atmosphere here was like a blue collar cafeteria with working people in and out constantly. I will try again if i was in the area.

I had the chicken fried steak from the steam table. It was really good and reasonably priced. Perfect breading and a generous portion. I will definitely return .

City Cafe was a pleasant surprise. The food was both economical and tasty, making it a great value. The menu had good variety, and everything we ordered was flavorful and fresh. The service was friendly and efficient, and the overall atmosphere was ok yet welcoming. Whether you're staying nearby or just looking for a solid spot to grab a bite, City Cafe is definitely worth a visit.

🥔 They call those delicious 🤤 diced potatoes "home fries", with little bits of 🧅 onion in them. I come here for those potatoes. Delicious. And I can have 🎣 fish & eggs 🍳 for breakfast! What's better than that?! The bacon is an add-on. 🥰 The only thing missing to make it the perfect 🎣 breakfast 🍳 experience is the company of my beautiful 😍 wife and our three wonderful children. 💕 🍳 City Cafe ☕️ in South Houston. You should all give it a try.

I went here for my lunch break today. Overall, I loved it. I got the Reuben sandwich, which was delicious. The fries were just ok. The servers were great and checked on me 2-3 times. Food was out quickly, so a great spot for a 30 minute lunch break! Spent just over $10.

Delicious food, generous portions. Excellent attention, Miss, very kind.

I ordered from the breakfast menu and my food was very delicious! Every single staff member gave SUPERB customer service! The atmosphere feels like a cozy family-friendly restaurant with good vibes. Im so glad I found this little slice of heaven and I'm definitely coming back!

Great service, casual ambiance and great food. It's the first time here for me and 2 other friends and everything was awesome. Our waitresses took great care of us and kept the coffee coming. I Loved the coffee. I tried the chorizo omelet and it was delicious and the portions are huge. My friend ordered the sandwich and it looked great. The pancakes look like frisbees. I appreciated the owner checking on us and the waitresses too. We took our time and sat there for several hours without being harassed. They never rushed us, another plus. I definitely recommend and will come back soon.

One of our go-to breakfast spots. Consistent in foods and attentive service. They have the best malted waffles and the fried chicken tenders are juicy and huge! Corporate coffee is just ok -weekends are busy and there's daily lunch specials. Ample parking in adjacent lot.

The food is good the price is amazing. Service is friendly and helped with my food allergies. The place gets packed quickly small parking lot. I would come back again

Accommodating waitress. This place is old school diner or luncheonette. There's a steam table option with daily specials or order off the menu. Reasonable prices, solid comfort food.

No complaints whatsoever. I have only been once, but this is the kind of place that makes me want to go back over and over. Tasty food. Friendly and welcoming staff. They have an old school diner vibe that is very comfortable and makes it a nice place to be. It's a little run down and the neighborhood is a little sketchy but the restaurant is wonderful. What to say? My coffee never got empty. The food was hot and fresh. The biscuits were enormous. The servers were friendly. The menu is very large and should have something for everybody. This is the kind of place that gets lined up out the door on busy weekend mornings, but I was there on a weekday and there were plenty of tables available.

I love the feel of an old school diner and City Cafe is one of few places that still evokes that vibe.. Located in the seedy part of South Houston, I've made it a point to go out of my way to come here since it really has become one of my favorite options for breakfast and comfort foods. A few other things to know: * Their hashbrowns are crunchy, not oily, and grilled so thinly that it looks like a sheet. I do wish they were a little more plump, but I give em a pass. * Service is good. They check on folks often, are friendly, and good about making substitutions if necessary. It's also a whole gaggle of ladies running around, along with the older male gentleman who I presume is the owner or GM. * While the prices are affordable, they're also inconsistent. I was charged $25 for a steak that was listed at $22 on the menu. I recognize foodflation is a thing, but one should update the menu prices first before the finding a surprise on the receipt. * Even on the weekends I've never had to wait. This is likely due to their really tight parking lot and the fact they have an expanded dining area with ample seating. This works in everyone's favor. * Ventilation is good that they have fans on the ceiling and chilly air conditioning. Take that humidity. * Friday is prime rib day. I haven't had it yet, but I can't wait to try it. * They close everyday at 2:45 p.m. On the dot. MTW.

I love the old school feel of the restaurant. It made me believe I was back at the diner I use to eat at when I was a child with my parents. I had the breakfast special with a Golden Malt Waffle with sausage patties and scrambled eggs. The waffle was crispy outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The eggs were seasoned great and cooked perfect along with the sausage patties. The best part about it was the service from Nani the server. She was very attentive, helpful and knowledgeable about all things City Cafe. I will definitely be back for more.

After picking up a friend at Hobby, decided to drop in and grab breakfast. City Cafe is a gem! I'm used to driving around for a few minutes before locating parking whenever I want to grab breakfast/brunch, but there was ample parking here. Staff is also very friendly and provided great service. Food was delicious! My hash browns were cooked perfectly and not too greasy, like some restaurants tend to do. It was also priced pretty moderately as well. Not too expensive at all. I live in the Humble area but could absolutely see myself driving down here for breakfast/lunch again. Also, a heads up: they close pretty early everyday, before 3. So if you plan on trying them out, make sure you arrive early enough.

Great food and outstanding service! The best grits we have had in a very long time. Can't wait to go back!

Visited: 6/29/24 | Spent: $16 - A no frills breakfast diner with some of the cheapest menu items I've seen since moving to Houston. It's seat-yourself style with extremely fast, attentive and friendly waittresses who graciously shared the "pancake special" (not included on the menu) when I inquired about a classic breakfast combination. The special included two huge pancakes (golden, though not as fluffy as they appeared), eggs (runny and not much seasoning), sausage patties (or bacon), and the best Cajun-style home fries I've had in some time! For a Saturday morning (11ish) there was lots of seating and parking available. I would return to try some of the otheru menu items, but again, the eggs and pancakes, though generous in size, left much to be desired.

Prompt service. Generous portions with eggscellent taste! Great people. Why stop at McDonald's??? Really!

Sausage Meat was really dry. Omelette not very good and very expensive. Would not recommend.

It was just after noon and I wanted to go brunch after my friend picked me up from my flight at Hobby Airport. Based on the ratings, this place was good and it was close by. So disappointing...I was starving and this was my first meal in Texas. I'm unsure why the ratings are higher on Yelp than on Google, but it wasn't anything special. It was a diner type spot if that's what you're looking for. I ordered the Chicken Coup with one scrambled egg (with cheese), 1/2 country fries and 1/2 grits (for $1 more), a biscuit, with no meat. I received one scrambled egg (with cheese), HASHBROWNS and 1/2 grits (for $1 more), a biscuit, with BACON. I pointed out my incorrect order when the server brought it to the table and she started to take the plate away to fix it. As I mention above, I was starving and this was my first meal of the day, so I told her I would just take the bacon (because I wanted to start eating). She indicated that was fine, but they would have to charge me for it and went to the register to add it to the bill (and still took the plate away). She left the tiny 1/2 serving of grits for me to "get started on." The sad part is, the bacon wasn't even cooked the way I liked it. It appeared crispy, when I originally saw it (before she turned back around and took the plate away to switch out the hashbrowns). I didn't even eat them. Soooo...1) If I hadn't pointed out THEIR mistake, I WOULDN'T have been charged??? 2) What was she going to do with the bacon that she already put on a customer's plate, brought out of the kitchen, and brought to the table...give it to ANOTHER customer? 3)What did she plan to do with the hashbrowns? 4) Don't restaurants normally give a discount when they mess a customers order up, not charge MORE $. To top it off, the floor was dirty and I needed to use the restroom, but my friend said it was nasty. I just held it!

Went there for breakfast while in town on business. There was not a lot of people in there that morning which was great. It was a standard diner appearance inside with booths, tables and a counter. The waitress was friendly and efficient. She did a good job. I got the pancake special. It was only 10 dollars and had a ton of food. It was good overall but the pancakes were a little underdone. The centers were a little raw. I just ate around it. I'd go back but ask for more well done pancakes. They're HUGE and thick so maybe they just need to be cooked another 60 seconds.

Excellent diner food! Old school joint in South Houston with a small parking lot. Had a decent crowd when I arrived and started filling up as I left around noon. The steak is good and grilled the hash browns are excellent! Not burnt and tasted freshly shredded. Eggs and biscuit were good. Definitely would return to try other dishes. Nice and quick staff, my waitress was super nice!

A hidden gem in South Houston. Gina, our waitress, is a top-notch server--very attentive and friendly. Atmosphere: I've noticed that there are always police officers at this location on their lunch or breakfast breaks, which creates a comfortable environment and is a great indicator that the food is excellent. I usually get the bacon and sausage omelette, which is perfectly cooked and served with toast. The home made potatoes are a staple here,and many customers rave about them

Food was great with great prices. I would recommend this restaurant for old school food.

Stop after dropping folks at hobby. Good has been consistently great for 20 years at least! Had a great breakfast for a reasonable price.

I got food poisoning from the omelet, now I called him the owner in mind you we're in Pasadena predominately Hispanic culture. This guy seems to be European with a Spanish restaurant in a Spanish community. right off the back nothing is wrong with that, but as I sit down to eat the food, I noticed that the omelette was bland. The meat was very, very very chewy and the meat itself had a texture tone to the meat in my soul, I said I tried anyway it looks alright. It smells good, but after eating it, I noticed that my stomach was queasy, so I drove all the way home. I stay away from this café when I make it home suddenly I feel tired so I lay down and go to sleep into my sleep. I wake up with diarrhea and vomit from 10 AM to 2 PM dealing with vomit and diarrhea, I called the owner. He was very disrespectful. He kept saying, how am I supposed to relate this to my food you having food poisoning as a customer letting him know that I got it from his establishment because nothing in the toilet indicated it was from food from yesterday. He begins to tell me how my body digest food and told me that my body takes this amount of time to digest the food and there is no way it could've been him well. I did not know he was a doctor nor physician if I could give this food establishment zero please do not go and support this dude he kept telling me he's a local business owner and that was supposed to justify the food poisoning. He offered my money back but then backed out on it after saying well how am I supposed to this to link my problems to his food so I wasn't compensated. He actually encouraged me to write this review. the salt was missing but most of all it all came out three hours later - throw up and diarrhea

The service was good. Food was ok, large portions. The OJ came in a prepackaged plastic bottle. They do not give discount to military.

Catfish is great nice and crispy comes with 2 sides service is always great I try to go every Friday and it never disappoints

Baby, Baby, Baby!! This place ain't no joke! If I tell you that this is a great spot to dine...whew! It's my first of many visits because I am a fan now. We came during breakfast time. The food was very delicious, and the service was really great. Our server Amanda was nice, knowledgeable, and quick. She smiled and had a great attitude. I had a vegetable omelette with grits that will blow your mind. Those grits were on point!! My daughter had the three meat omelette with hash browns, and we both had a pancake. If Yelp had sound, y'all would really feel my thoughts. Y'all don't let the building fool you either. It's pretty spacious but quant. Looks like your old school dinner. I will definitely be coming back to my new found jewel. If you're ever on this side, you might want to pop in. It's the real deal!!

Food Inexpensive Customer Service The food was absolutely delish. You will not be disappointed. The portion size of the pancakes is huge. You can get full off of one. The prices are very affordable. If you are ever in South Houston, you would love the food and quaint ambiance.

What do you do after a very early flight? You go to a breakfast spot to refuel and start your trip the right way. This spot was a Yelp find-close to Hobby airport and with impressive reviews. When we walked up we saw the sign that read " est. 1952." Positive sign If they've been around this long.... We arrived around 11 and were seated immediately. They were getting ready for the lunch rush but breakfast was still available. They have daily lunch specials where you can pick an entree with two sides (steam table) for under $9-quite a bargain! We weren't sure what to order as they have so many options but our wonderful server gave us some tips & we ended up ordering some breakfast and lunch. Spaghetti with meat sauce was excellent! Had a spicy touch to the sauce that we really liked! The Big Meat Omelettes were massive and filled with a variety of breakfast protein. 2 eggs came out soft scrambled as requested & our side of pancakes were fluffy and tasty. For sure a local's favorite as we saw the place fill up with the lunch crowd here for the daily specials. This is scratch/homemade food made with care. A classic diner & hidden gem that you won't find in too many places. Service was amazing from start to finish. We will be back!

Good good and great service! The food was good but the temperature was luke warm and needed seasoning!

Food,service,ambiance all good. Eggs done right,bacon biscuit good coffee too. Order was out on time friendly service and not that expensive. A little more parking would be great but still good. We try to get there at least a couple times a month.

City Cafe is great . The food is great always fresh service is quick and very polite everyone is paying attention. The ambiance is normal not sure how else to describe it but not loud . Highly recommended if you are in the Pasadena area or don't mind driving there .

First time here and the previous reviews didn't disappoint. Parking was a little tight but was able to find a spot eventually. The place has the retro vibe diner feel, it was clean and our server was friendly and attentive. You sit yourself when you get in. I noticed that some of the chairs/benches needed to be replaced. Coffee was fresh and great, kept it refilled and my omelette was delicious. I just didn't like how the sautéed tomatoes, onions and jalapeños weren't mixed in with the egg but still good nonetheless. I ordered the side of bacon and they gave me a plateful. Service was quick, will definitely be back when I'm in the area!

I had a great experience here! They actually had the meatloaf like Mom made! W/ tomato sauce! Yummers! Great mashed potatoes and the collard greens were so fresh as was the cornbread! I'll be back. Great service by Amanda.

Everything was excellent here from service to the food quality and hospitality. I got the southwest omelette and Greek salad both were excellent. The restaurant at least looks clean and smells clean. I wish there were more places like this.

I love their Fried cat fish and Shrimp Not sure how is the service since I order and get it delivered

We go there almost every Saturday my boys love the burgers!! And trust we have tried burgers from all sides of Houston and they all say this is their #1 place to get a burger!! Service is fantastic very sweet and friendly environment!! Very calm and peaceful place..... I get breakfast and it's also highly recommended

While service was good, the food was bland. Gravy had no flavor, biscuit was dry, the only thing decent was the waffle

This place is a hidden gym. It's great for lunch but come early or there's nowhere to park, not because there's limited parking but because it's that good. My favorite is their breakfast tacos. Just get one with a cup of coffee on day and you will see!

Not a bad diner at all! Seat yourself, with plenty of booths and tables to choose from. Overall, we enjoyed our breakfast here. Service was a bit on the slow side, and we had to ask twice for Splenda for our coffee (they only set out sweet & Lo- do people still use that?). Our waitress came around a few times to offer coffee refills, but never refilled our water. The food was pretty good- the bacon, eggs, and hash browns were great. Our only complaint was the French toast. This was the thinnest, most anemic French toast ever! In my opinion, French toast should be served on good, thick bread, like Texas toast or brioche. This was cheap, thin, white bread, so the effect was pretty underwhelming. It was sprinkled with tons of powdered sugar and cinnamon and served with warm syrup (that was a nice touch). Just needed better bread! The total was $33, which was just fine with us. If I'm in the area, I'd go again and try the waffle or pancakes.

If you've ever wanted to feel like you were being served a home-cooked meal this is the place to go. Our breakfast was really satisfying. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and we were lucky enough to get in before the crowd.

It's like your stepping back into time in the 1950s . Fast service . Decent diner food. I have no complaints at all

I'm all about comfort food. After some healthy eating in Texas, we wanted to have some good 'ol breakfast before heading out to the airport. We found this place close to where we were flying out and it was open super early! 1) Philly Cheese Steak omelette: Umm you should get this one! My fiance ordered this and I ended up eating more of his haha. Shaved sirloin steak, mushroom, onion and bell peppers with a lot of mozarella cheese! I definitely recommend the hash browns, they're fresh and have the perfect crisp (5/5) 2) Chicken and cheese omelette: Chicken, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. A heart healthy breakfast if you ask me hehe (5/5) Overall prices are decent. The food definitely tastes great. Credit cards accepted and there's plenty of parking

Great food. Vintage Style place. It's totally worth it if you love home style cooking

I went to the city café for the first time, and I noticed that their cups that they bring to you still have residue all over the cups on the inside at the bottom and where you would put your lips at if you did not have a straw I do not recommend for you to drink out of the cup. They give you instead drink a Styrofoam cup, probably much safer especially not knowing who had that cup before you the food is great. The people are awesome. It is a nice family place to take after church or just to go out for a nice breakfast or lunch. That is the only thing that is a zero for me to not go again.

Came in 30 minutes before closing on a Monday and ordered To Go. Paid 11.91 for just the steam table dinner which states that it is only 8 bucks online with no drink. I do not know the itemized prices since I was not given a check. Got home and the veggies were hot and the meatloaf was ice cold. Not room temperature when it is 91 outside but cold. I only live 5 minutes from City Cafe and I dont think it should have been colder than I was.

The foos and service were great,it was like stepping back in time.I look forward to going back

City cafe should rename itself to dry cafe. All the food items were unpleasantly dry. All things were made better with the help of hot sauce. Even the coffee was tasteless. I don't get how so many people like this place. We had such bad experience with food, I do not recommend this to anyone.

What a wonderful find! This restaurant is a well oiled machine with the staff truly working as a seamless team...very impressive. And the food was delicious. Probably the best omelette I've had in a long time. Interesting flavor combinations. The southwestern omelette, hash browns and sour dough toast was a great combo...get there earlier than noon for biscuits as I understand they are the popular choice!

Great little local spot. Friendly staff and good food. Nothing too fancy. Had breakfast there twice on a recent visit to the area.

Great place for breakfast. Been coming here for years. Steam table for lunch is also very good. Wait staff and owner are so nice and friendly.

The waffles were soft with a crisp to it. The syrup came warm which makes a big difference. The bacon was thick and crispy. The home fries were cooked perfectly. The food altogether was delicious. Highly recommend trying this cafe out.

I had the pork chops and eggs!! Yummy, the chops are grilled but still juicy. Not a fan of grits but theirs was amazing! Great good good prices. Service was soso.. Nice clean mom and pop eatery

So after church my husband and I decided to go get breakfast this morning, we were going to go to Waffle House but too many people. We drove a little further decided to try City Cafe (first time here) ....and I am glad we did. As soon as we walked in it was like stepping into the past, it was almost like walking into a "malt-shop". We were greeted and they sat us quickly and our waitress was very friendly, she made us feel welcomed. It was a home feeling, a cozy kinda feeling, a comfortable feeling. Joanna (our waitress) took our drink order gave us time to look at the menu, I had a chorizo omelet with hashbrowns and toast. My husband had the ham and cheese omelet (with mushrooms) and hashbrowns with wheat toast. My husband decided to have an order of pancakes, very good and hot and fluffy. Our omelets were very good and very fluffy our hashbrowns needed a little more seasoning but overall, we were satisfied with our breakfast, and with great customer service. If you choose to eat there ask for Joanna, she will answer your questions and will take good care of you.