Wednesday, August 23, 2006


You know, Dick, it's so funny you mentioned Mama's Daughters' Diner, since I photographed it today. So here it is, big as day, Not the best photo. The real glory is on the inside. Mama had a diner, and now her daughters run it, hence the name. It's gratifying to see an apostrophe properly deployed twice in one business name.

If you're ever in Dallas and get a hankering for home cooking, this is the place, over on Industrial near downtown. Their gravy is not bad, (but it's not Babe's, either). They have incredible chicken-fried chicken livers that will make you glad someone thought of eating organs. Oh, and pies-- have you heard about their pies? They have glorious meringue piled hip-deep. Good shit. Oh, and don't neglect to have a filling breakfast, at which they excel.

This is another death-row meal must, in my book.

Seriously, you can pick up your bags at DFW airport and be at Mama's Daughters' in 20 minutes, or maybe under 15 if you're with a skilled local yokel.

Oh, and almost all the waitresses have been waiting tables for decades, and they all call you "sweetie" or "hon." I LOVE that. There is one waitress named Suzy Q. No lie. And a couple of them will remind you of Flo from Mel's Diner in the tv show Alice.

There's one older lady (MUST be in her 70s) who wears lots of rhinestones, has piled-high hair the color of shoe-black, and always wears huge black sunglasses as she waits tables. She's a total rock star. I'll get her photo for you sometime soon - she's adorable.


Dick said to go there at 11 to be seated, because they DO get a considerable line around midday. However, table roulette is fun at this place - they'll seat you with a table of people you don't know and you get pulled into some of the most colorful conversations to be found.

Yeah, this is another thing to love about Dallas.

15 comments:

Barbara Bruederlin said...

Well any business that cares enough about my feelings to use apostrophes correctly wins my respect without my ever eating there.

Dick said...

Ya know, I have to rank Po' Melvin's (sp) up there too.
The Irving location.
We really should be grateful we have so much great food around here.

Jay Noel said...

I need to meet Suzy Q.

Anonymous said...

This sounds terrific! I was a big fan of the show Alice..

Kelly said...

Three words about Mama's Daughters'.

Chicken. Fried. Steak.

That is all.

Anonymous said...

One word. BULL SHIT.

I stopped eating there because it was too much like a nursing home. It was okay for a while, but the old people were getting on my nerves.

On the other hand, you have to pay attention to the fact the old people eat lots of spinach and vegetables and all the sides, but it just got too freaky when the what do I call her quit and started running home and she was replaced by this sixty year old whore with tattoos on her legs and a what do you call it, a halter bra that only belongs on a teenager.

I mean, they had some good sausage, but the old whores just got on my tits.

I do mean to try that one over on Harry and Royal, but that's kind of a reach.

Dick said...

Yeah, I've taken her to the greatness DFW has to offer, but can you blame me?
When it comes to love, ya have to go ahead and toss out that trump card early.

Anonymous said...

Poor Melvin's is okay, but they have service problems. I haven't been to the one in Southlake. I did find a fish grill in Grapevine last weekend that was really good.

That indian place next to poor melvin's gives me a bad case of constipation. I haven't tried the thai place yet.

The indian place was the ground glass thing, Bunny.

Oh wait, she's gone.

Oh well, f it.

Liz said...

I'm always thankful for a properly deployed apostrophe. Near my house is Lovely Nail's which makes me go all Conan the Grammarian every time I see it. Nail's indeed. Apparently the proprietor is Miss Nail.

As opposed to Withnail.

Dick said...

Nein,
Where was the fish place?
The one on Main street, next to the train station? Cause that's a good one.

Twisted Lady said...

3 words:

...kiss my grits

;)

Anonymous said...

Dick, no. I was shooting the lake and wound up driving Dove drive (there are several) and it was just called fish grill. Well, there some roads named about doves, I think.

Sorry, man, but Saturday is more or less a hallucination. It was around all that retail shit.

I will find it again and report. It wasn't bad, and that's a good thing.

phlegmfatale said...

nongirlfriend - it's superb!

barbara - we have to respect the grammar! I love them if only for that.

big dick - wow , Po Melvin's, I haven't heard of that one.

phoenix - I suspect Suzy Q is just your speed, honey

jacquie - ME too! I was fascinated by him at the time, but I'm having a retrospective crush on the sadly deceased Vic Tayback[mel]. ROWR!

kelly - Please tell me that this trip to texas was not your first experience with Chicken fried steak? You poor little repressed darling. At least you hooked up with the right feller to educate you proper!

nein - you're such a curmudgeon!

big dick - like I said: the big guns.

nein - you're not talking about Pasand on Belt Line, are you? They are some of the best Indian food in DFW, seriously. Superb. If you got constipated, perhaps you over-indulged in sag paneer, which I'm told can have a binding effect. Others have the opposite of constipation with Indian grub - I've heard it termed "Delhi belly." *L* Indian food has no effect whatever on me - it's business as usual.

liz - perhaps the nail maven should be attacked with a nail gun. Grrr. Withnail is always welcome.

blog whore - Whatever you want, sugar!

Anonymous said...

No, Pasand is very good and they know me and leave me alone. That's the mark of a good place; they serve me while I read.

I'm talking about this place that was in the same center as Poor Melvin's that has probably closed by now. I don't know what it was but something there always messed me up in a way that lasted for three or four days.

I haven't tried the Pasand in Richardson or Plano or whatever.

phlegmfatale said...

nein - Pasand is superb, in my humble estimation.
Well, if it was that crappy, it should be closed.