Day Tripping to Hillsboro and R&K Cafe

After receiving a tip about a café in Hillsboro (and specifically a must-try chicken-fried steak), we had to go. After all, we love an excuse for a day trip.

When I was in high school in the mid-'90s, the Hillsboro Outlets were a one-stop shop shopping mecca. The Nike Factory Store, Eddie Bauer, Guess – seemingly every flagship brand under the sun had a store in Hillsboro. All with discount prices. And for someone on a shoestring budget like me, scoring a few name brands for the new school year was imperative.

We took a drive through the old outlets, which now sit eerily desolate outside a lone Bath & Body Works. Everything else we saw was abandoned and vacant — a modern-day ghost town of a once thriving and bustling shopping playground that, at its peak, housed more than 100 stores.
After reminiscing about annual family shopping trips from three decades ago, it was time for lunch. R&K Café, away from the outlet strips and near the old town square, came highly recommended. It's a quaint small-town eatery with a distinct Southern charm that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The space spans two levels (the servers get a hell of a workout here going up and down the stairs all day), and on a midday weekday, it was busy.

From all accounts, R&K serves an excellent breakfast. Dinner favorites include ribeye steaks, all-you-can-eat signature fried catfish and chicken breasts smothered in bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and a melted colby jack blend.

But we were here for lunch, and specifically, a strongly vouched-for chicken-fried steak. R&K’s “famous” chicken-fried steak ($13.99) is fresh cut, hand-breaded, fried to perfection and smothered in pepper gravy. If you sift through R&K’s Google reviews (which scores a healthy 4.6 on 1,500-plus reviews), it’s clear the most popular dish is the chicken-fried steak. And we see why. R&K’s chicken-fried steak game is strong.
We also tried R&K’s fried pork chops ($13.99). You get two portly-sized battered and fried pork chops (which also come pan-grilled if you prefer) that remain tender and juicy beneath their cloak of crispy deep-fried breading. Side choices are abundant: two (sometimes three) sides come with entrees. There was a chalkboard with all the sides listed: fried okra, sweet corn, seasoned green beans, mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, a full salad bar and more.

Appetizers include fried pickles and jalapeños, homemade onion rings, loaded fries and fried green tomatoes. We shared an order of the latter, and they were fantastic.

Even with the outlets long gone (though there is talk of a long-term plan to revive them), Hillsboro is well worth the trip. Several museums (like the Texas Heritage and Roadside America museums) are worth visiting and making a pit stop by R&K Café for breakfast or lunch is well advised. The Texas Through Time fossil museum, featured on The Texas Bucket List and FOX 4, is also a must-visit.

And save some room for dessert: R&K offers a rotating selection of by-the-slice pies (including whole take-home pies).
R&K Café, 103 N. Waco St., Hillsboro. Monday – Thursday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.