Remember when grabbing a tray and sliding it down a steam table was the height of dining sophistication? Classic American cafeterias once dotted the landscape from coast to coast, serving up hearty portions of comfort food that reminded folks of grandma’s cooking. Though many have closed their doors over the decades, a precious few continue to honor this beloved tradition. These eight remarkable establishments prove that sometimes the old ways really are the best ways.
Philippe The Original – Los Angeles, California
Philippe The Original isn’t just a restaurant – it’s practically a time capsule of Los Angeles itself and has been serving food since 1908. However, it wasn’t until 1918 that they struck culinary gold when a clumsy chef dropped a cop’s French roll straight into the fryer. The fryer contained all the delicious juices left behind from the tasty meats – known as ‘au jus’ rather than beef broth. The customer loved his crispy mistake so much he kept coming back asking for that “French dipped sandwich,” and what began as an accident became the house specialty. Now you can get that same golden roll – dunked in rich, natural gravy from daily roasts – stuffed with roast beef, pork, lamb, turkey, pastrami, or ham, plus whatever cheese tickles your fancy.
Walking in feels like stepping back in time. You’ll queue up at one of the old-school carver’s counters where friendly staff slice your sandwich to order alongside classic sides like coleslaw, pickled eggs, and creamy macaroni. You won’t get any disagreement from local diners, who praise the restaurant’s iconic atmosphere as much as the delicious food. “Philippe The Original isn’t just a restaurant – it’s practically a time capsule of Los Angeles itself,” one patron wrote on Yelp.
Harry’s Hofbrau – Redwood City, California
Established in 1954, Harry’s Hofbrau quickly became a northern California institution, with locations springing up from San Jose to San Leandro. Though some locations have since closed, the original in RedWood City is one of two you can still visit to get the classic “carvery” experience, which its website describes as a fusion of cafeteria and buffet dining. Harry’s Hofbrau features a classic menu, with daily specials that can include old school cafeteria foods like chicken a la king. Customers flock to Harry’s for that old school dining experience.
“This type of cafeteria and hofbrau style meal is something very special, traditional and just rarer and rarer as we move inexorably further into the 21st century,” one reviewer wrote on Yelp. “I want to enjoy it as much as possible while I’m walking the Earth.” The sentiment perfectly captures what makes Harry’s special in our increasingly fast-paced world.
Mehlman’s Cafeteria – Saint Clairsville, Ohio
Mary Mehlman Dietrich began her career as a restaurateur selling authentic farm fresh goods and meals from a booth at a local market. By the mid 1960s, though, she had expanded to a brick and mortar joint that has become a local landmark to the residents of St. Clairsville, Ohio. Today, Mary’s grandson Jay Mehlman still runs the family-owned cafeteria. He chalks up the restaurant’s longevity and popularity to using fresh ingredients and down home recipes, made from scratch each day by self-taught chefs.
Over the years, Mehlman’s Cafeteria earned its spot as Tripadvisor’s top restaurant in Saint Clairsville. It’s the unbeatable combination of scratch-made American fare and prices that feel frozen in time (with entrees starting at just $3.55). The roast beef, meatloaf, and prime rib consistently earn rave reviews for quality that far exceeds typical cafeteria expectations. However, you’ll want to save room for a slice of freshly made pie, cake, and jello as well.
Swett’s Restaurant – Nashville, Tennessee
Susan and Walter Swett first opened their doors in 1954, and the restaurant has remained in the family ever since. This casual, cafeteria-style eatery has proudly served a diverse group of patrons ever since the Civil Rights era. Everyone from policemen to politicians visits this Nashville institution for a hearty dose of Southern comfort food. It’s classic, old-school dining with staff that truly cherish their clientele. Operating as a classic “meat and three,” diners select their main dish alongside three sides from an ever-changing lineup. The owner and chef famously cooks without strict recipes, keeping regulars on their toes with seasonal variations and creative twists.
Expect expertly prepared smothered pork chops and crispy fried chicken paired with soul-warming sides like collard greens, creamy mac and cheese, and rice. Sweet endings include incredible pies, fresh-baked peach cobbler, and banana pudding – a Tennessee staple. The unpredictability keeps longtime customers coming back week after week, never knowing what delicious surprise awaits.
Matthew’s Cafeteria – Tucker, Georgia
Matthew’s Cafeteria transports you straight to the 1950s with its checkered tablecloths, communal seating, and classic cafeteria line that’s remained unchanged for good reason. When you’ve perfected something, why mess with it? This multi-generational family operation has earned national recognition as one of America’s best “meat and three” destinations, particularly famous for its outstanding turkey and gravy. According to their grandson Michael Green, who currently runs the family business, their down home Southern food attracts foodies from around the world thanks to Matthews Cafeteria being chosen for the hit Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” “I guess you could say we’re nationally famous – internationally really,” Green told The Champion.
Open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus Sunday brunch, Matthew’s covers all your comfort food cravings throughout the week. Mornings bring down-home breakfast staples like fluffy biscuits, perfectly seasoned grits, and crispy bacon, while lunch and dinner rotate through weekly specials featuring different meat and vegetable combinations each day. I know we’ve had customers from every one of the lower 48 states.
Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen – Houston, Texas
When homesick New Yorkers venture out in search of a classic Big Apple-style delicatessen, they head to Kenny & Ziggy’s. The collaboration between Lower East Side deli maven Ziggy Gruber and Houston restaurateur Kenny Friedman takes a bigger-is-better approach, which has earned the bustling deli shout outs on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives , as well as in Maxim magazine. At the restaurant, regulars flock for larger than life sandwiches piled high with pastrami and corned beef, as well as matzoh ball soup. Inside, the space channels New York City with its classic deli case, wood-wrapped walls and leather banquettes.
Broadway playbills and cartoon drawings of celebrities adorn the walls. Know before you go: Prices reflect the generous portions, so be prepared to pay $17-18 for standards like The Big Reubowski and the Brooklyn-style Patty Melt, though they are easily enough to feed two people. The deli has relocated from its longtime 2327 Post Oak location to a new space in the area.
Shapiro’s Delicatessen – Indianapolis, Indiana
According to Shapiro’s president, Brian Shapiro, their location on Indianapolis’ south side was once the hub of a vibrant Jewish community. The cafeteria format worked, particularly during the labor shortages of the World War II era, when the family couldn’t find enough staff for table service. The first hot dish that Shapiro’s served is still on the menu: spaghetti and meatballs, made from Rebecca Shapiro’s recipe in a heavier, Russian style and using different spices than an Italian–American version. While Shapiro’s isn’t strictly kosher, the meatballs contain beef but no pork or cheese, in keeping with Jewish dietary rules. Brian Shapiro says, “It’s more of a meatloaf meatball.”
These days, Shapiro’s dishes out deli classics, from matzoh ball soup and bagels and lox to chopped liver and stuffed cabbage. They’re known for overstuffed sandwiches, including corned beef, pastrami and brisket. “For an entire generation, or maybe two generations, this was a perfect substitute for that mythical meal at grandma’s house. It was the ultimate comfort food,” says Stall, who researched the state’s steam table eateries and their classic dishes for his book, Tray Chic: Celebrating Indiana’s Cafeteria Culture.
MCL Restaurant & Bakery – Indiana
Homestyle tastes of the Midwest are found at MCL Restaurant & Bakery, a cafeteria with a more than 70-year legacy, and numerous locations throughout Indiana and Ohio. MCL was started by Charles “Mac” McGaughey and has been in his family since. Wondering what Midwestern cuisine is? It’s classic American fare: Roast beef, baked fish, and assorted vegetable sides. Monday through Wednesday, up to two kids can eat free with the purchase of an adult dine-in meal, or you could stop in on Thursday for a .99-cent slice of pie.
The closest to me is MCL, about 10 minutes away. It isn’t cheap, but the food is very good, and the place is new. I just checked and there are 6 MCL cafeterias around Indianapolis, and there is also Jonathan Byrd’s, north of Indy, which is legendary. Some of the smaller Midwestern chains, such as MCL Cafeterias centered in Indianapolis, are still in business.
Conclusion
These eight cafeterias represent more than just places to eat. They’re living museums of American dining culture, each serving up hefty portions of nostalgia alongside their famous comfort foods. Dining trends have changed and the 2020 pandemic forced several of these classic institutions that had been open for decades to close forever … and even more have closed since. Yet these survivors continue to prove there’s still room in our fast-paced world for the simple pleasure of sliding a tray down a steam table.
What makes these places special isn’t just the food – though the meatloaf, fried chicken, and homemade pies are certainly worth the trip. It’s the human connection, the sense of community, and the feeling that some things are worth preserving exactly as they are. What do you think? Have you been to any of these classic American cafeterias? Tell us in the comments.
