Out here along I-20, the towns are small and the restaurants are few, but the ones that remain have stories. A Thurber diner in the last brick building of a coal town. A family dining room on a hill named for company managers from back East. Italian recipes that came to Mingus in 1906. And, a few miles west, one of the most talked-about chicken-fried steaks in Texas.
If you're staying in Mirador's Texas Shire Houses, three hobbit-inspired houses in the hills near Mingus, about an hour and a half west of Fort Worth, this is your dining guide. The Mirador FAQ is honest about it: dining options in the immediate area are limited, so it pays to know them before you arrive. It works just as well if you're simply driving through.
For what to do between meals, see Things to Do Near Mingus, Texas on a Weekday. For the story behind the smokestack, read Thurber, Texas: The Rise and Fall of a Coal-Mining Company Town.
A note on hours: small-town hours change. We list only hours published on each restaurant's own website, checked on November 2, 2026. Call before you drive, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
At a glance
| Restaurant | Where | Known for | Hours (official site, Nov. 2, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokestack Restaurant | Thurber, I-20 exit 367 | Breakfast, chicken-fried steak, buttermilk pie | Sun–Thu 7 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 7 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| New York Hill Restaurant | On New York Hill, off exit 367 | Hand-cut steaks, homemade rolls, breakfast | Sun–Thu 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m. |
| Beneventi's Italian | Mingus, 209 S. Mingus Blvd. | Handmade Italian from family recipes | Tue–Wed 4–8 p.m.; Thu–Sat 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed Sun–Mon |
| Mary's Cafe | Strawn, 119 Grant Ave. | Pan-fried chicken-fried steak | No website; call ahead |
| Mel's Diner | Mingus, 816 S. Mingus Blvd. | Small-town diner | No website found; call ahead |
Thurber: two classics at exit 367
Thurber was once the leading coal-mining town in Texas. Today it's a ghost town, and both of its restaurants sit within sight of the old brick smokestack.
Smokestack Restaurant. The Smokestack has been feeding I-20 travelers since 1971, and its history page says it now sits in the only remaining Thurber brick building in town. The menu is Southern comfort food: rolls from scratch, fresh-cut steaks, burgers, catfish and chicken-fried steak, a full breakfast menu, and daily blue plate specials it posts on its social media. Save room for the buttermilk pie, made from a great-grandmother's recipe the family keeps to itself. There's also a patio. Its site lists hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, which makes it the easiest early breakfast in the area. Phone: 254-672-5560.
New York Hill Restaurant. Across the interstate, on the hill where the Texas and Pacific Coal Company's managers once lived in brick homes with picket fences, Janis and Lesly Mills opened New York Hill Restaurant in 1989. Three generations of the family run it today. According to its history page, photographs and artifacts donated by Thurber families are displayed in the main dining room. The kitchen serves Texas cooking with hand-cut steaks, fresh-ground hamburger and homemade rolls, plus beer and wine. Breakfast runs 7:30 to 11 a.m. daily, and the restaurant is open until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Phone: 254-672-5848.
Both are close to the W.K. Gordon Museum, so a Thurber morning can end with lunch at either one. Museum hours are in our Thurber history guide.
Mingus: Italian with a mission, and a diner
Beneventi's Italian Restaurant. On Mingus's main street, Beneventi's serves handmade Italian dishes such as lasagna and gnocchi from family recipes. The restaurant traces them to the Auda family, who arrived in Mingus from Italy in 1906. It's run by a nonprofit, and its About page explains that it doubles as a job-training setting for adults with intellectual differences. Sweet Loretta's Beer, Wine and Coffee Bar is part of the same place.
Its site says it's open Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations are strongly recommended for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m.: (817) 756-1972. Beneventi's also offers family-size takeout meals you order ahead, such as lasagna, spaghetti, cannelloni and desserts. That's a good fit for a group staying across two or three houses.
Mel's Diner. Mel's Diner, at 816 S. Mingus Blvd., is listed in the City of Mingus local business directory at (817) 818-8050. We couldn't find an official website or published hours, so call before you go.
Strawn: Mary's Cafe and the chicken-fried steak
Strawn sits a few miles west, just off I-20 at exit 361, and for many travelers it means one thing: Mary's Cafe. Writing for Texas Monthly in 2022, Texas Country Reporter host Bob Phillips said Mary Tretter opened her place on Texas Highway 16 in 1986. He described a three-quarter-pound steak that covers the plate, tender enough to cut with a fork and pan-fried on the stovetop rather than deep-fried.
A 2026 Only In Your State feature notes that the chicken-fried steak comes in different sizes, that the menu also covers burgers, hamburger steak, pork chops and catfish, and that portions are big enough for leftovers. It also notes that Mary's doesn't have a website, so you'll need to call for hours. The cafe is at 119 Grant Ave. Plan on company: Phillips wrote that there are always plenty of pickups out front, with an overflow lot across the road.
Mary's pairs naturally with a morning at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, just outside Strawn. Our Palo Pinto Mountains trail guide will help you choose a hike to earn it.
Farther afield
If you need more choices, Mineral Wells and Stephenville are the larger towns within driving distance. Their tourism offices keep their own lists: Visit Mineral Wells and Stephenville Tourism's restaurant directory.
Check dates for the Texas Shire Houses
Eating in at the Texas Shire
Even with good restaurants nearby, many of the best meals here are the ones you make yourself. The FAQ recommends arriving with groceries, snacks and drinks for your stay, and each house has a kitchen to match:
- The Baker has a full kitchen with a stovetop, oven, microwave, air fryer, sink and refrigerator, and sleeps up to five. It's the natural place to reheat a family-size takeout order for the group.
- The Writer, the largest of the three houses, sleeps up to four. Its kitchenette has a stovetop, oven, microwave, air fryer, sink and fridge.
- The Gardener sleeps up to four under its living roof. Its kitchenette has a stovetop, microwave, air fryer, sink and fridge, but no oven, so think skillet breakfasts, air-fryer dinners and leftovers from Mary's.
Not sure which fits your table? Baker, Gardener or Writer? How to choose your Texas Shire House compares them side by side.
For a night with no cooking and no driving, a few of Mirador's add-ons help:
- White Chicken Chili ($45): a slow cooker of white chicken chili with toppings, an easy first-night dinner.
- Texas Snack Basket ($65): Texas-made jerky, nuts, popcorn, sweets, sparkling water and more.
- Pond Picnic Basket ($100 for two): a packed basket with a blanket, place settings, bottled water and light snacks to enjoy by the pond.
Add-ons are requested through the Add-ons & Experiences page. The team confirms arrangements and sends a payment link.
Tips for eating well out here
- Shop before you leave the city. Grocery options nearby are limited, so bring what you need for breakfasts and at least one dinner. Our before-you-stay planning guide has a packing list.
- Plan around the check-in time. The listings show a 3 p.m. check-in and an 11 a.m. checkout. An early dinner at the Smokestack or New York Hill works well on arrival night, and a breakfast stop at either one can start your drive home.
- Mind Sundays and Mondays. Beneventi's is closed both days, so plan Italian night for Tuesday through Saturday.
- Call ahead around the holidays. New York Hill is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and other places may keep holiday hours.
- Order ahead for a group. If you're filling more than one house, a family-size takeout order from Beneventi's, reheated in the Baker's oven, makes an easy shared dinner.
Stay a night or two near Thurber
The restaurants here are part of a slower rhythm: a long breakfast, a drive past the old smokestack, a big plate in Strawn, then back up the lane to a round door. Every Texas Shire House has a two-night minimum, which leaves room for all of it. Choose the Baker for the full kitchen and room for five, the Writer for the largest house, or the Gardener for a cozy stay under the living roof. Then check the live calendar.
Check dates for the Texas Shire Houses
Questions about kitchens, groceries or arrival? The Mirador FAQ has answers.
Sources (checked November 2, 2026)
Each restaurant source is linked in the article above.
- Smokestack Restaurant website: home page (hours, menu highlights) and Our History
- New York Hill Restaurant website: home page (hours), Our Food and Our History
- Beneventi's Italian Restaurant website: home page (hours, reservations), About Us and Family Takeout Meals
- City of Mingus: Local businesses directory
- Bob Phillips, "Chicken-fried Steak, Just Like Mama Made," Texas Monthly, April 26, 2022
- Katie Lawrence, "The Texas Chicken-Fried Steak Spot Locals Detour For," Only In Your State, August 17, 2026
- Mirador: Texas Shire Houses, FAQ (location, kitchens, groceries, restaurants), Add-ons & Experiences (prices and how to request), and the booking listings for the Baker, Gardener and Writer (capacity, check-in 3 p.m., checkout 11 a.m., two-night minimum)
Restaurant hours are as published on each restaurant's website on November 2, 2026, and can change. Call before you go. Add-on prices are as listed on Mirador's Add-ons & Experiences page on November 2, 2026. Mirador isn't affiliated with any restaurant listed here.