Gray Brothers Cafeteria

Outstanding smorgasboard cafeteria style restaurant. A relic from another era, yet relevant today. This place is famous and still popular for its ability to sustain high quality meals quickly and efficiently. The large portions of delicious dishes will satisfy any appetite. There is something here for everyone. The service here is great and it is easy to find using Google Maps with plenty of free parking.

5/14/2024 2:30 pm. I had the pork with topping. It came with green beans & a few bites of potato. I had a side of Mac & cheese, a drink & a piece of pie. My husband had a Beef Manhattan, water, & a piece of pie. Our lunch was $50! My food was good, except my coconut creme pie was lacking in flavor. My husband said his Manhattan was not warm enough. Both pie slices were not chilled enough. The dining room is beautiful, but a bit chilly. (They can't seem to get temp's right.) ▶ Service was excellant.... ❎ I am shocked they are charging a "processing fee of 3%" on all credit card payments! (I actually used a *DEBIT card.) OVER-PRICED & not worth it. We won't be back.

It’s a cafeteria - with a great assortment of food. The fried chicken, mac & cheese, and green beans were excellent. The dining rooms are clean, and have fireplaces on, giving a warm and cozy atmosphere. Servers walk the floor to refill drinks, and help however guests need.

20 years ago, this place used to be so good. My experience was mediocre. The food was just okay. The shrimp was burnt. The fried potatoes weren't cooked all the way. The elote looked good but lacked flavor. The mac and cheese was just okay. The breaded tenderloin was big and cooked well but lacked flavor as well. Oh, and the waiters were very slow and were not that friendly.

Always great food and service!!!! We come here quite often on meatloaf nights (Wednesday and Sundays) and it's always very good. Along with their meat dishes, the salads, sides and rolls are all made from scratch and amazing. The quality has never been subpar. Most of the wait staff are very attentive and kind. Definitely a family style restaurant with a buffet of great food. You can't go wrong choosing this well known staple restaurant in Indy. If you come in on a Wednesday you also get a free slice of any pie you choose. Excellent place to go and try out!!!!

Absolutely Delicious Food! Beautiful atmosphere, nice and decorated for christmas, even had Santa for the kids! I ordered fried chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and corn. The drumsticks were super juicy, and the corn was delicious. The mash potatoes were alright, not my favorite but definitely better then many other restaurants, though it had too much gravy for my choice (I guarantee they would add less if asked). 2 others in my party ordered the chicken livers, which they absolutely loved and say they plan to come back solely for them, as well as the Mac and cheese which was super rich and cheesy. Would also recommend the chocolate cake, it was SO rich and chocolaty. They were busy though and we did have to wait a bit in line, but once we were to the front it was fast. My only gripe is with the price, we spent around $87 I believe between the 4 of us on the food, but 2 of us ordered cake (Free pie day, which the other 2 of us got) However with the quality of the food the price is still worth it! I definitely recommend checking this place out!! (I also noticed they even do doordash delivery!)

I've heard about this place for years but never took the time to go. I live about an hour away, and I'll probably make this trip every couple of months or so. The greens do have a bit of stems in them, but I just picked them out and put them aside. That is a heads up and not to be negative, because the flavor was amazing! Mac & cheese + chicken were great as well. Let's talk about the best pecan pie I've had to date 😋. That was heaven. I had one small issue and the manager Damian was very polite and helpful (might have spelled it wrong, not sure). The server was awesome as well. One last thing, the dining room made me feel relaxed, was the perfect temperature, and gave me a sense of nostalgia. We will definitely be back, that's for sure.

Great pic and pay for what you want. Great food and awesome tasting 🍨 desserts. The price was good. Busy, lots of older people here.

It was a beautiful fall day so we made the drive to Mooresville to have lunch at Gray Brothers Cafeteria. We went in and the first thing I saw was a large fireplace - lovely! The restaurant was neat, very clean and beautifully decorated. There were several more fireplaces throughout the restaurant, which I loved. We got in the service line and the workers there were very kind and patient with us as we scanned the large selection of food. I finally settled on the fried chicken, au gratin potatoes and green beans. My husband also had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and a piece of cherry pie. When we were looking around for a table, a polite young man approached me and asked me if he could help me with my tray, which I GREATLY appreciated. He took it and carefully placed it on the table we selected. I thought this was a very nice touch. The chicken looked good, and it was well- seasoned but not as crispy as I like it. The bones inside were black - so it was Tyson chicken or some such, I'm sure. It was done, but again, not as well-done as I like. The au gratin potatoes were very, VERY cheesy - good, but a bit too rich for my taste. The green beans were well-seasoned and I enjoyed them. My husband thought the fried chicken was too salty, but I didn't find that to be the case. He liked the mashed potatoes and gravy. I took a bite of his cherry pie - he sprinkled sugar on it because he thought it was too tart, but I thought it was good and regretted not getting a piece of it myself. Perhaps a little ice cream on top of it would have been a nice addition. All in all, it was a good meal at a nice, homey restaurant with wonderful service. I would love to come back on a cold day when they might have the fireplaces lit.

I haven't been to Grays in a long time, so it was interesting to try again. It is cafeteria style so you immediately have to get in line with tray to pick out food. I got coleslaw, strawberry pie, dark fried chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy. The food is tasty and very filling. Plenty of group seating with homey fireplace decor.

3.5 overall stars. When in line, there was an odd smell but it went away as you walked down. Everything is priced individually- I got a slice of pie, chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. The price can seem a little high but you do get a nice portion. The food is tasty. You seat yourself and they have servers for refills but our server was sitting at a near table the whole time talking to them and only came for refills once and boxes at the end. Overall it's not a place I'm rushing to go to again and only come with family when they suggest it

Drove down to our old hunting grounds. It was a sad day and after the service we needed some comfort food. So what better to go for home cooked vittles than Grays! I had some barbecue ribs with a sweet but tangy sauce. My wife enjoyed the chicken parmigiana with garlic bread. The other offerings looked fantastic especially the pies and cakes! We hope to visit again when we are in the area.

Many family celebrations were held here. I have been coming here since my teens and am almost 60! I will miss this location. The food was always the best!

Wow so easy to over eat here. I left stuffed. Chicken Livers were great. Chocolate Cake awesome. It is also easy to spend some $ two dinner were over 50$.

This restaurant serves food cafeteria style. They have a huge parking lot and it consists of 2 sides. The front side of the restaurant is where you will find the kitchen style dining room, with tons of seating. The other side is where you can get to-go food. This part has its own special designated parking spots. I went to the dining part. This is where you go through a cafeteria line and sort through pies, entrees, sides, bread and drinks. I got the meatloaf, with sides of creamed potatoes and stuffing. Of course I got a slice of their pecan pie, since I had heard so much about their desserts. The staff there is very friendly and helpful. They have staff working the floor, cleaning tables and bringing people refill drinks and to-go containers. I found me a table after going through the line and started to dig in. My meal was mediocre at best, even for cafeteria food. It looked SOOOO much better than it tasted. The meatloaf was pretty bad. It had an odd taste to it. The stuffing was even worse. I could not even finish it. The deviled eggs were decent. I have had better and I have had worse. Then there was the pie. It was exquisite, well worth the price of admission. That is the only highlight of what was a blahhh meal. The pie definitely lived up to the hype. I highly recommend their pies. I found the food not only bland, but also a bit on the pricey end. I dropped $30 there. Oh well, at least I had the pie. I would probably check out another eatery, if I was considering this place. On the flip side though, I would run, not walk here, to get my hands on one of those pies (they are pricey too, though).

Excellent comfort food! Tried this place for the first time. It is a cool rainy day and had the taste for something different and warm. Arrived around 12:30 pm on a Sunday and the parking lot was packed but still plenty of places to park. Upon entering, there was a bit of a line but it moved very quickly. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, it is like MCL where you pick up a tray, your silverware and nap ins and pick you dessert first, then your main entrees and then your drink. So much to choose from ranging from chicken, noodles, meatloaf, roast beef, ribs and more. Lots of veggies and everything tastes like Grandma prepared it. Although it was packed there was plenty of seating to pick from. There is a server that comes over to refill your drinks and provide condiments should you need it. Definitely a place to visit if you are in the area or if you don't mind driving a little ways!

Always great food and service!!!! We come here quite often on meatloaf nights (Wednesday and Sundays) and it's always very good. Along with their meat dishes, the salads, sides and rolls are all made from scratch and amazing. The quality has never been subpar. Most of the wait staff are very attentive and kind. Definitely a family style restaurant with a country and honey feel with a buffet of great food. You can't go wrong choosing this well known staple restaurant in Indy. If you come in on a Wednesday you also get a free slice of any pie you choose. Excellent place to go and try out!!!!

I love gray brothers i am 42 I been coming to gray brothers cafeteria since I was little it's one of my favorite places to vist!!

It's been 20 years since visiting Gray Brothers--- nothing has changed---still great food with a plethora of selections! Thank you

I hadn't been to a place like this before. It was so great. We had just come from a funeral and there was plenty of seating and so much delicious food with such a variety our family of 30 was all happy. Kids to adults, and vegetarians were all happy. It was very efficient and there were women walking around getting us refills. I loved the pie, elote, Mac and cheese, pasta salad, and scalloped potatoes. Wow it was the best comfort food. I would absolutely return to this place if I'm ever in the area. We were in the back room and it looked really nice as well. The only thing I'd suggest is having some soft music playing because it felt so vacant and quiet, we ended up playing some of our own quietly. I think it would just feel more welcoming and less sterile in that sense. Otherwise everything was fantastic!

As a first time customer....reviews are deceiving. 1 Thier pie taste like premade store bought filling....Disgusting. 2 Roast beef was excellent 3 everything else was bland... please learn to season your food. 4 staff all looked miserable. 5 WAY WAY OVERPRICED, I was expecting a 5 star experience for the cost. I personally will never go back

Eighty six dollars! $86.32 for 3 Worth it? Season 52 cost us $105 for two people You decide. Fried chicken leg and thigh, mac and cheese, 1.5 deviled egg, mashed potatoes 2 orders , 1 chicken breast, half rack rib, beets, cabbage, three pie slices. Three drinks. Wow. Prices not clearly marked. Ya got me once, never twice.

Every time we order delivery is COLD, and typically missing at least one item. My daughter's veggie meal was terrible, and she received water instead of the drink we ordered.. My husband's meal ended up in the trash. We typically enjoy good food and great service, I guess this is a dine in only establishment, if you expect an accurate order with exceptional food!

Drove from Indy to Bloomington to pick up my daughter from IU just for the purpose of going to our Christmas lunch at Gray Brothers as we have done for years! Was very disappointed from the time we walked in a strong sewage smell as we waited. In line was almost overwhelming and then ordered the meatloaf and it was completely disgusting and couldn't finish it not the gray brothers experience of the past

Our ladies travel club traveled to Mooresville for their 33rd Annual Victorian Christmas. The ONLY place to eat us the historic Gray Brothers Cafeteria opened in the 1940s and continuously owned & operated by members of the Gray family. Gotta try the pie!! There are SO many to choose from. This restaurant is one of the 25 stops on the "Hoosier Pie Trail" (yes, that's a real thing) and this is my first. So, I'll update reviews as I visit others. It was standard cafeteria food hearty, good tasting and reasonably priced. Ladies on the trip voted Apple their favorite pie. I decided to try the carrot cake. It was a little on the dry side but with a cup of coffee-it was just fine.

Gray Brothers Cafeteria is the heart of Mooresville and everyone who lives around here has tried it at least once. It's family owned and operated and they kill it with the food and customer service and that's why they've been open for 70+ years. It has a welcoming ambiance and is a staple for Sunday Church goers and the elderly since it's right next to the nursing home. When you walk in you're placed in line and you pick out the food cafeteria style. The workers plate it for you, you put the food on your tray, and walk down to the cash register and seat yourself. I personally am not a fan of home style cooking since I'm always looking to try something new, but their food is just like how your grandma made it for you is a kid. It's nostalgic and comforting.

Food is good, but mostly with little seasoning. Prices are way to high for what you get. $3 for tiny portions of veggies and sides. Nice selection of of pies that are very good tasting. $25 for an average meal with pie and drink is to much for seniors and familys.

Do not under any circumstances use them for catering. The food was disgusting and embarrassing.

We have been going to Gray Brothers for decades-and the quality has always been excellent and has not changed one bit! There is a problem with one of the food items though-the pieces of pie-they are just normal size and Gray Bros pies are so amazingly good-they really need to have pieces twice the size as normal!!! Love Grays-I read some of the negative reviews and honestly believe those people were in an entirely different establishment and just thought it was Grays! Absolute best!!!!

I was so excited to eat here last Saturday. After moving to Texas seven years ago, I look forward to eating at Gray's when I'm in Indy for a visit. I had the fried chicken(white meat). It wasn't the big crispy, juice breast meat I remember. It was a tiny and dry. Seemed like it was a left over from the day before, left in the pan under the heat lamps. So disappointing. I took one bite(should have taken it back up for a replacement). Took the rest home to feed to the dogs. Thank goodness both cheesy potatoes and the butterscotch pie were on point. Fix the chicken situation...please.

I see a lot of people complaining that their food delivery from Gray's was cold. Well, I'm glad there are people out there like you because that just reinforces my belief that food is best enjoyed at the restaurant not by a third party delivery source. I have been to Grays many times and I've always had a great meal. The food is fresh and delicious. My favorite is the Roast Beef Manhattan. I can't express enough my love of this dish. The pies are wonderful as well. So many choices. I just don't get how some people can complain about Grays but I imagine they are just a negative personality to begin with.

My wife was ill and had been asking for beef and noodles all day while I was working. This place had exactly what she was asking for so I ordered it for pick up so I could grab it on my way home to Plainfield. First, the order was brought out exactly the time they said it would be out. The person that brought it was friendly enough for this service. When I got home and gave it to my wife it was not beef and noodles but chicken and noodles. I had to go back and check my order to ensure I did indeed hit the correct "Beef" button. I'm leaving a low review because details matter. I have never tried this establishment before and I probably won't try it again.

On a rainy stormy night when no one was around to eat dinner with me I decided to go solo to grays. I looked around at all the delicious food but couldn't help but admire the yeast rolls. I love the fact the yeast rolls are so moist. I just want them melting in my mouth and that's what's grays does.... It makes food that melts in your mouth. I love the food like actually LOVE IT. If I could marry a food I think it would be grays. The meats and veggies and cream pies are what get me every time. I love me a nice cream pie.

Too expensive and the food quality is poor. The pies, which they are allegedly renowned for, are barely better than those offered at Kroger. This place may have been decent in the past but that day has surely passed.

My customer for 35 years, the food is still delicious. Not Gray's fault the prices are high. Inflation? Blame somebody else. Great food. Great service. Great ambience

Food is downhome cooking, best fried chicken, Salisbury steak, fried catfish, meatloaf, mixed vegetables, smashed potatoes, gravy, a hige variety of entrees and especially their huge variety of homemade pies. Our server was especially attentive. A fireplace in every large room, homey elegance.Chicken Fingers and Mac n cheese are favorites! Strawberry Pie and chocolate pies are all time favorite for many!! Always see someone you know there as you dine in the warmth of the fireplaces and enjoy the satisfying flavor of comfort food. A staple of Mooresville and surrounding area, people travel over 50 miles to dine here.

Beast comfort food around. They service is usually quick. As in the long line usually moves fast I love there chicken liver cooked just right. The pies are ALL delicious. I love the chocolate cream pie, rhubarb, and the pecan pie. I don't think I have ever eaten anything there that I didn't like the taste. Make sure you try this place out if you are in the area

My group wanted to enjoy Gray's Cafeteria before heading to Mooresville for their Christmas event. 10 of us met at noon on Saturday. It was a little crowded but the line moved quickly. The fried shrimp looked (and tasted) great. I opted for fried chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes. Yum! Our server.. Yes they have wait staff to keep drinks filled offered to help us put tables together for our group. Very attentive! And of course she became our photographer for our group photo. Gray's has been serving great food for modest prices forever! Still the same delicious pies!! Not for the calorie conscious but a nice treat.

If you're wondering why you didn't get any inheritance from Grandpa, it's because he was taking Grandma to Gray Brothers Cafeteria three times a week. Wow has this place gotten expensive! Is it worth it? No. But if you decide to go, here's a few ways to get a little more bang for your buck: As advertised, pie is free on Wednesdays, but remember: peach cobbler is not pie, cake is not pie, and chocolate pudding is also not pie. Kids eat free on Thursday but only if you ask, they won't apply the discount automatically. Now here are some lesser known money-saving tips: Go when the weather is bad. Nothing scares off old folks like less-than-stellar weather. The servings are a little more generous when they realize they've made too much food. If you have a small child and don't think they will eat a whole kids meal, ask for an extra chicken leg and heavy sides. Saw my cousin pull this one once, didn't know you could do that. And last but not least, if you still have a hankering for cafeteria food at Ruth's Chris prices, go with Grandma and Grandpa and tell them this week is their turn to buy and hope they don't remember buying last week.

There are sooo many complaints about the excessive SALT. Older adults at times need to watch their SALT intake. I'm a Mooresvillian and really no longer wish to come because my entire $25 meal was tooooo SALTY. I'm very sad. This used to be amazing and now well---Much less so.

The food itself is a 4/5 but the service was slow. There was a lot of ice in the drinks so I drank the liquid pretty quickly. No one came to fill the water so I drank my boyfriend's water. Still no one came to fill the drinks so he went up to the fountain and filled both waters himself. Eventually, two servers asked if we were doing okay but we were basically done with our meal by then. The meatloaf, chicken tender, green beans, au gratins, and Mac and cheese were all good. Coming in free pie Wednesdays is a bonus.

The old memories came flooding back from days of yesteryear, as a child, standing in the long lines anticipating the vast selection of delicious options. Just looking at the heaping mounds of chicken tenders and the huge Roast Beef waiting to be sliced and smelling the fresh Strawberry pie made my mouth water. As I passed by the windows, staring down my options of sides and flirting with splitting my entrees I decided to go with the HUGE butterfly fried Shrimp. A first for me and not the last. The Shrimp were not all breading and full of plump and tasty deliciousness. My old stand by from my child hood, Chicken and noodles, was missing but it's neighbor Beef and Noodles was there. I also opted for the Raisin pie to go. Great atmosphere, great food and always remember FREE PIE WEDNESDAY!

It has been over 10 years since my last review of Gray Brothers Cafeteria. For the most part, the long lines outside the door are gone. Occasionally though you can still see a line outside like on Mother's Day. It takes about 100 people in line to get the line outside through the double entrance doors and the foyer. So that still says something for GBC. But in today's climate and increased competition there are some drawbacks. The carry out part of the building is closed due to staffing shortages. And they are closed on Mondays for the same reason. Pies and cakes on the line come ready for inside dining or prepackaged to take home. That is a benefit for me because I can eat my meal in the dining room and take my dessert home for later. Some of my favorites are fried shrimp on Saturdays. They are huge and you get eight of them. The fried catfish is also excellent. They always have beef and noodles or chicken and noodles, fried chicken, and roast beef every day. Almost every day they offer ten different entrees and as many vegetables. Same with desserts and salads. Plenty of free parking, and always clean restrooms. The gift shop has been converted to additional dining space for when the need arises to keep people separated.

First time at Gray Brother. They had a good food selection on the cafeteria line and large portions. I'll be recommending them.

I live in Cincinnati and without hesitation I take the almost two hour one way drive for a meal. Almost overwhelming selection of items to select from. The cafeteria style is the charm and the Sunday dinner at great granny's house is the vibe. The staff is more than helpful and super friendly! My goal, on a different day to experience their daily special of the day.

I ordered the Beef and Noodles. I enjoyed the Noodles very much but did not care for the Beef in the Noodles. I did not care for the taste. It was like the noodles were made for chicken because they were very yellow but good. The beef seemed to be boiled without any seasoning then chunked into cubes and added to the noodles. I did enjoy the green beans immensely! They were seasoned very well and you got a generous serving. I thought the ice tea was perfect! Our server was very attentive.

We ignored the prices and went a tad crazy, good news is the pies, the entree and sides and two pieces of pie were so delicious. Pies are amazing, got a strawberry pie and a rhubarb pie to go. We had the juicy inside with crispy outside chicken breast that was perfectly fried and the prime rib. It was a bit of a budget buster as our bill for two was 67.00 and you can eat for a lot less, but get pie and extra pie.... you will be glad you did. We enjoyed the cafeteria restaurant....please never go away. GREAT HOT EATS and Awesome Pie !!!!

So good and so tasty!! I like the chicken and the service and also the chicken. Always enjoy the rustic look the place has going on inside. I recommend the chicken.

Great food but prices are very high. The service has always been great over the years as well as a clean and relaxing atmosphere. People drive from far to visit.

I was introduced to Gray's a few years ago. Probably my favorite "buffet" style of eating out of any other restaurant . To clarify, its not a buffet. You stand in line cafeteria style, and people serve you the meal you choose from behind the glass. The workers are always so friendly and the portions of food are huge. Today I had the baked Mahi Mahi, broc with cheese, mac and cheese, deviled eggs, and cheesecake. Everything was delicious, I was impressed with the Mahi Mahi. It was perfectly cooked, and had a great breading on it. Sides and deviled eggs were good too!! Also to note, they do not serve alcohol here. The price does throw me off a bit. For two meals (with 2 sides, one slice of cheesecake, and 3 deviled eggs) it was almost $50. Anywhere else, I'd say "yeah, definitely reasonable." But for cafeteria style food, seems a little pricey. Don't get me wrong, the food is good. I don't know, maybe I'm used to the pre pandemic days where golden corral was $13 all you can eat (this is not all you can eat btw). Service is also a little hit or miss here. The servers are supposed to clear plates and refill drinks. Sometimes they are awesome, other times I get my own refills from the machines. Overall, we always celebrate our older relatives birthdays at this restaurant. I think its a great place for memories and the locals seem to have been coming here for years. I'd definitely recommend giving it a chance!

They have the best food ever. I feel like I'm eating the food my grandma, and mom cooked . Yum

My mom actually worked here while in high school. She was able to take pies home if they weren't sold that day. How lucky was she? Lucky! They have the best pies and desserts. I love the strawberry pie and the peanut butter cake. From the road it has a country lodge look to it. Inside it has fireplaces and stone and wooden beams throughout. It's a cafeteria and they offer a nice variety of items. Chicken and noodles, fried chicken, prime rib, macaroni and cheese, pecan pie, etc... Gray's was featured on an episode of Man vs. Food where the host Adam Richman had the meatloaf and the strawberry pie! They have a great carry out area that's separate from the main restaurant. Same building completely different entrance. It's very easy to go in and pick out what you want and they pack it up for you and off you go! They have a lot they offer in the carry out side. If you've never been it really is a great place that has something for everyone! It's great!

I'm sad to write this since Grays has always been a mainstay in this area for many years. We have taken many friends and family here over the last 27 years. However, I don't think we will be back. I have always loved the fried chicken, but this last visit I could not eat it due to the amount of salt soaked in to the chicken breast. This was the first time that I have ever sent a meal back. It could not be eaten. The price of sides/vegetables is now $3.50 a piece. The wife got a salad and waited for the young lady to put dressing on it. The young lady instead continued with silverware and napkins even though there was no one in line behind us. My wife had to ask to have dressing. Service and food are not what they used to be. Sad

Have been going here for years! Great atmosphere and amazing food. Check how busy they are at the time, popular place the wait times can be outrageous, but worth the time.

Once again, I visited one of my favorite restaurants. My food was good, hot, and included a wide selection, something is horribly wrong. When corn, green beans, mashed potatoes etc. are $3.30 each, I was shocked at how proud they are of their food. For three people, the bill was $75 and I drank water with no pie. SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS! Let that sink in. Their client base is older patrons, many on fixed income. How can those people afford to dine there? They can't. Ya know, for $25 I expect more. Remember, part of the review must include price as part of the overall dining experience. You don't eat the decor, nor do you dine on what it used to cost. Family greed perhaps?

48 years ago Me and my wife worked at Grays Brothers restaurant, still just as good as it was 48 years ago, couldn't have a better family business Merrill Gray we went to school with, but just the best food ever, from roast beef to strawberry pie it's just at great place to eat

Great home cooking. This is good for large families and if you like pie, this is definitely the place to go to!