Chess Club Steakhouse - Blanco, Texas

Mike H.

Chef Steve and host Emily are the dynamic duo. Along with both of them, each and every staff member is excellent; very professional, friendly, and thoughtful.
The steak and sides (especially the creamy spinach!!) are terrific. The care and love these folks put into making your dining experience enjoyable and tasty is not just noticeable, but authentic. Go here - it's really great!

Chow D. D. T.

Stopped in while passing through Blanco, Texas on 281. Keep hearing about how good it is, so of course the intrigue got the best of us. I was wanting a traditional eggs and meat breakfast, but our server said the Chicken Fried Steak was “Award Winning”…….so I HAD to try it!! Lol. I added a Blueberry Pancake as well.

He did also said we should try a sample of everything to see how good it all is.

My wife got the Chess Club Breakfast plate and added French Toast.

Chicken Fried Steak Plate 7/10 - the homemade gravy was the star here. The CFS was good, but not the best. It did have a good breading but could have been cooked slightly longer as it had no crispness to it. The seasoning was lacking a little as well. It was a slightly thicker cut of meat and tender, so that was a plus. The gravy had a great flavor profile just like my family makes. The eggs and bacon were done up right and enjoyable. The potatoes were very good.

Blueberry Pancake 7/10 - light and fluffy with just enough density to make it hearty. The blueberries were plentiful but not overwhelming.

Chess Club Breakfast Plate 8/10 - the eggs were supposed to be over medium (yellow runny but the white cooked) and they were a little overdone. The flavor was still good though. The sausage patties tasted fresh and flavorful.

French Toast 5/10 - thick bread but not much flavor. Maybe more cinnamon needed? The syrup was cold not warm.

Service 9/10 - the entire staff was extremely attentive, friendly and helpful. Kudos y’all.

Atmosphere 8/10 - nice cozy, country cafe in a quaint little Hill Country town.

Overall 8/10 - definitely suggest this place. Everyone that told us about the Chess Club Cafe was spot on.

Melissa F.

Best place to eat here so far! We had breakfast here on our last day. Large portions and the food was delicious. I had bacon eggs over medium, potatoes (home fries) and toast. The BREAD is homemade and so very good. Our waitress/cashier was very sweet and answered my questions about the history of the place. We’re definitely coming here for lunch next time we come to Blanco TX. P.S. I started eating before I thought of taking a photo because it looked so good.

T H.

Service was good. The play was packed. The food was ok. They chicken fried chicken could have had more seasoning. The California club chicken wrap was on the dry side. Chips were a little on the stale side. I would go back to try something else.

Juliane W.

First time here, and I'm glad I made the trip. We had the breakfast combo plate and the quiche plate. Everything was delicious and hot. We arrived at 8am, and within 30 minutes, the place was packed. The service was great as well!

Jeffrey C.

Donna was our server and she was sooooo sweet! The food was incredible but the SERVICE was out of this world and that makes all the difference. We started with the biscuits and gravy, our friends had waffles, chicken & waffles, and an omelet. They all loved their dishes. There was a wait so try to show up a little early to put your name down. They don’t take phone reservations. It is worth the wait. They have awards for being the best in the area… I believe it. This is a stop you should make if your in the area.

Crystal T.

My husband and I stopped here for brunch and oh my goodness! This place is a gem. From the outside it doesn’t look flashy or grand but it had lots of cars parked on its lot. The host was quick to set the wait time (as people were lined up) and asked if the customer has a preferred table. We just stated first available table. The place is like an old home converted into a restaurant. There is a homey feeling. The pastries look so beautiful and appetizing in their displays. Chess Club has a simple straightforward menu which makes you want to order everything! Hubby ordered the eggs benedict with syag sage and home style potatoes while I ordered the chicken (tenders) and waffles with a side of egg and bacon. When I had a bite of that chicken and waffles, seems like it’s my birthday. It was just so delicious! The serving was just right for the price. They place was not pricey, our server was wonderful, we didn’t wait long for the food to be served, the food was perfectly cooked. It is for this reason that I am giving this place a 5-star rating. And if you are in Blanco TX, definitely stop by Chess Club Cafe.

Brigitte R.

This restaurant has been here for a looong time and it’s well known by locals.

The first thing you’ll notice as soon as you get in is all the homemade pastries they offer. The pudding bread is pretty good.

Honestly the food looks amazing and my friend told me the omelets anda pancakes are the best!! She’s being coming here for over 5 years

Unfortunately they don’t offer vegan options or many vegetarian ones. You need to create them when you order. Also, when they provide syrup they come is plastic little packages. That sucks.

The staff is very friendly and the place is clean.