The Fork Café
RM 165, Lochman, Texas
No phone - if you need to call ahead, you're probably overthinking this
"Same menu since people stopped asking us to change it"
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 6 AM - 2 PM
Closed Mondays because everyone deserves a day off
About The Fork
The Fork Café has been serving Lochman from the same converted 1950s ranch house since someone had the good sense not to tear it down and put up something with better parking. Our screen porch gets steady use when the weather cooperates, and our main dining room maintains that comfortable lived-in feeling of a place where the coffee pot never goes cold and everyone knows which chair creaks.
Mayor Clyde holds court at his corner table most mornings, dispensing weather predictions and road maintenance opinions despite having zero official authority to do either. His unofficial office comes with the understanding that if you sit there during breakfast rush, you're volunteering to solve whatever community problem walks through the door that day.
We focus on getting the fundamentals right rather than impressing anyone with unnecessary complexity. Our biscuits are made fresh every morning, our coffee is strong enough to wake the dead, and our eggs come from chickens who apparently take their job seriously.
Fair warning: We operate on small-town café time, which means your food will be ready when it's ready, and rushing the cook will only result in pointed looks and slower service.
Served until we run out of eggs or 11 AM, whichever comes first
The Usual - $8.95
Two eggs any style, bacon or sausage, hash browns, toast, and the assumption that you'll want coffee. Most folks order this without even looking at the menu.
Mayor Clyde's Special - $9.95
Three eggs scrambled, extra bacon, biscuits and gravy, and hash browns. Named after our most regular customer, who orders it every morning and still acts surprised when we bring it to his table.
The Lochman Stack - $7.95
Three pancakes that are exactly the right size and thickness. Comes with butter and syrup. We don't do blueberry, chocolate chip, or any other fancy variations because these are perfect already.
Biscuits and Gravy - $6.95
Two fresh biscuits smothered in sausage gravy that's been made the same way since 1987. If you ask what's in it, we'll tell you "sausage and gravy."
The Rancher - $11.95
Chicken fried steak, two eggs, hash browns, toast. For people who plan to work hard enough to earn it, or visitors from Austin who want to feel authentic.
Toast and Coffee - $3.95
For Earl, who claims he's not hungry but always finishes everyone else's hash browns.
11 AM until we close or run out of food
Fork Burger - $9.95
Half-pound burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion. Comes with fries that are cut here, not from a bag. We don't do substitutions because everything on it belongs there.
Daily Plate - $8.95
Whatever needs using up before it goes bad. Could be meatloaf, could be chicken and dumplings, could be that casserole Mrs. Foster brought over. Always comes with two sides and the story of where it came from.
Grilled Cheese and Soup - $6.95
Made with real butter and actual cheese, served with whatever soup we made this morning. Popular with people who want comfort food and city folks who think simple means easy.
The B.L.T. - $7.95
Bacon, lettuce, tomato on toasted bread with mayo. When the tomatoes are good, this sandwich is perfect. When they're not, we'll tell you to order something else.
Chicken Fried Chicken - $10.95
Chicken that's been chicken fried because apparently regular fried chicken wasn't complicated enough. Comes with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a dinner roll.
Fish and Chips - $9.95
Available Fridays only, weather permitting, assuming the delivery truck made it through and Earl remembered to put the order in on Tuesday.
Hash Browns - $2.95
Bacon (3 strips) - $3.95
Sausage Links (2) - $3.95
One Egg - $1.95
Biscuit - $1.95
Toast (2 slices) - $1.95
Extra Gravy - $1.50 (We see you, Earl)
Coffee - $2.95
Fresh pot every morning, refills until you leave or we close. Strong enough to wake the dead, which is sometimes necessary around here.
Iced Tea - $2.95
Sweet or unsweet. If you order half-and-half, we'll bring you both glasses and let you figure it out.
Soft Drinks - $2.95
Coke, Sprite, Dr Pepper. We don't stock Diet anything because life's too short.
Orange Juice - $3.95
From concentrate, like God intended.
Milk - $2.95
Whole milk. If you want skim, there's a coffee shop in Austin that would love to help you.
No WiFi - Talk to each other
No Substitutions - The menu is the menu for a reason
No Rush Orders - Good food takes the time it takes
Kids Welcome - But they need to use their inside voices
"If you're looking for fancy, there's a place in Fredericksburg that would love to help you. If you're looking for good food and honest coffee, you're in the right place."