Palo Pinto Snap Shot 948 square miles Founded 1856 from Bosque and Navarro counties County Seat: Palo Pinto Population: 28,111 Cities:
Brad, gordon,
graford, Mingus, mineral wells, Palo
Small Town,
Big Eats
pinto, possum kingdom, salesville, santo, strawn
By Hannah Langford Photography by Nicole Hengst
A
small town in Palo Pinto County is home to one of the most noteworthy cafes in the Texas. So noteworthy, people drive hours to order off the authentic home-style menu at Mary’s Cafe, famous for what many consider to be the state’s best chicken friend steak. Pan-fried in a batter so secret
that employees have to sign a confidentiality agreement before they can work there, the chicken fried steak has become a nationwide sensation. Catching a person or two from a northern state in Mary’s is not out of the question. A few Indiana natives have said if they are in the great state of Texas, it’s a tradition to find time