Reviews Ponte's Diner

For a diner out in the middle of nowhere, this is a don't miss. This place has been around for at least 30 years. I know...I spent the first half of my life in Dallas and the second half in Houston with family members on both sides. But I only knew because of the road signs I've seen for decades-- I never stopped in. I stopped in last Wednesday in the middle of the afternoon and it was unsurprisingly empty for that time of day. I took that turn off the exit looking for a DQ and to get grubby with some steak fingers and tacos. No DQ. Just Ponte's. What the hell, right? Besides, they were advertising breakfast and enchiladas.

For its age, I was expecting peeling paint behind some yellowed Merle Haggard-genre concert posters. It was bright, crisp, and very clean. I've seen the pics that have been posted here, and could only offer the same. A nice soda fountain bar along one side where you can even get a "phosphate" -- the real deal. An internet juke box slightly intimidated me.

You couldnt ask for much better variety for road trip food. A couple of pages devoted to breakfast, a couple of Tex-Mex, a page of some attractive looking sandwiches and burgers, one for well-rounded American fare (chops, meatloaf, etc), and a page for the soda fountain. Hell, even the steak fingers I was looking for were there -- but I strayed.

Like I said, I live in Houston where there is a Mexican restaurant or taqueria on every corner with sometimes extra corners inserted for that very purpose. I am always in search of the circa 1970 El Chico sour cream chicken enchilada so when I saw they offered them, I went for it. I was very encouraged when the chips and sauce came out. Freshly fried, light, and very crisp. The salsa was up to the task. I like pickled jalapenos COOKED on my enchiladas and had requested same. No one ever gets this simple request right. Ponte's did! The waiter even came out with a sample to confirm I wanted pickled rather than fresh. I loved that.

So out it comes, looking like a picture. So I took a picture. A side of beans and rice, both average, and a very large crispy taco adorned with a tremendous amount of veggies and shredded cheese. The ground beef could have been spicier, I thought. Alongside that was a scoop of guac sitting on a bed of shredded lettuce LIKE IT ALWAYS SHOULD BE AND NEVER IS. It was not over-seasoned and could in no way be any fresher.

So, the moment of truth: the enchiladas were thickly stuffed with moist, shredded chicken, appropriately seasoned. The sauce -- I thought it was good, but was it? What is that I'm tasting? Cumin! Cumin in the sour cream sauce! I tossed around whether this might have been a violation of Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Protocol, but after the third bite, I was sold.

Almost $15 with an ice tea (you have to affirmatively opt-out of pre-sweetened tea in the Texas hinterlands) but considering the quality, and definitely the quantity since I couldn't finish it, it was more than fair.

I had a chat with the manager, Nate Turner, and expressed my pleasure. Nice young fellow who'd been around a bit before settling into Fairfield. He digs the vibe there.

I won't be doing anymore Dallas/Houston runs without planning my stop at Ponte's Diner and neither should you.

Diner for sure but worth the exit off the freeway. I had breakfast there many years ago hence the decision to stop for lunch. The tomatoes were not homegrown (bummer) but the balance of the meal was above average.

Great food. Wonderful burgers & shakes; great breakfast with large pancakes. We look forward to eating there each time we go down to hunt.

Dinner on Friday night. I loved Ponte's Diner. We have been going there for a while on Friday nights. I have been in the hospital and had surgery so it had been a while since we had gone. I was shocked. The floor had food all over it. Chairs were pulled away from the tables. The windows had handprints all over them. I ordered a bowl of pinto beans and cornbread. Beans had splashed on the side of the bowl and had not been cleaned. They were awful. How can you mess up beans? After the waitress brought us our food, she never came back except to bring the check. The whole staff was at the counter on cell phones and discussing who they would fire. They all were drinking, laughing, and talking. I will never go back.

Love this place! Nice old time diner feel and great food!

Best bacon Swiss cheese burger I’ve had. The burgers are huge and the onion rings are delicious! Definitely worth the stop!

Stopped in at this restaurant on our way to Shreveport Louisiana. I had the chicken fried steak with potatoes and charro beans. The beans were some of the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked with amazing seasoning. My friend had a Mexican plate and he said it was outstanding. Our food was piping hot and the wait staff was very nice. Highly recommend!

Food is hot, fresh, good and at a reasonable price. The patty melt was how a a patty melt should be. Perfectly seared patty. Light and crispy sour dough. And Swiss cheese on both sides of the patty. The grilled onions were good too. To take it up a notch I would add a side of horseradish sauce. The onion rings were perfectly done. Hand dipped and made to order. The only thing is that I wish I had a garlic alioli sauce to go with them. Just picturing it makes me smile. The coke float and coffee shake was good. The server was super nice and gave us an extra cup of coke. We also had the enchiladas and tacos. I did not try them, but it was a big portion that came with rice and beans. Bottom line: Give this place a try and support a local business.