Love going in there, friendly staff, easy to order, take out, parking available right by the Pearl Brewery, out back I’d street is full...the Fried chicken excellent👍 And their deserts, omg
Chicken & waffles was really good here . The fried chicken is to die for . San Antonio staple !! You must try @ least once . The menu offers a great selection! Reasonably priced
Home cooking that's better than I can cook it at home. I've had breakfast, lunch and dinner - all so good. Omelettes are fantastic. Try their pies. The homemade dinner rolls are excellent.
Great breakfast. First time there and it was like taking a step back in time, loved the whole vibe. I had the waffles and hubby had the pancakes, both had eggs & bacon and everything was delicious. I did like his pancakes better than my waffles though. Next time I want to try the biscuits & gravy and hubby's going to try the french toast.
My parent's first date.....Feb 1961. Sad I couldn't have visited the original site of Ear Ablel's since this was the place my parent's visited on their very first date in February 1961.
I did enjoy my meal at their new location and this place will hold a special place in my heart. My parents have now been married 53 years and are more in love now with each passing year.
Working our way through San Antonio's historic restaurants, we stopped in at Earl Abel's for dinner. While nothing fancy, this restaurant is quite charming. They have good food at reasonable prices. The service here is fairly fast and friendly.
My partner chose the chicken fried steak, while I chose the grilled chicken breast. Both of these meals were well-cooked and quite tasty. They came with some really good mashed potatoes. Mine also came with a small salad.
The best fried chicken and gravy around! Add mash potatoes too!
I do miss the original building!
Enjoy!
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Ask Curly for a Table.. What's for dinner Curly? The time worn likeness of a maritre'd greets you at the entrance and has been the "mascot" of EA for decades. I have actually seen people stop to ask Curly for a table and look rather befuddled when there is no answer . . . . that's right before they discover that Curly is a mannequin and sheepishly skulk away hoping no one has seen them. I think Curly has been through a few tussle's over the years though with scofflaws attempting to run the check and looks it.
Late nights, early mornings, and any time in between, EAs was THE place to come in SA. One could find local celebrities, TV personalities and political hacks on any given evening. The late Henry B. Gonzales punched another politician in the face here (the old location) for calling him a communist. Presently I think the restaurant's bubbling clime has calmed down significantly. At any given time you will see a cadre of blue hairs that make this place a regular, maybe even daily lunch or dinner visit.
Well known for their fried chicken (which is what I get almost every time I have been here since high school) as well as their time tested cakes and pies. Some of their other dishes I have had have been a little off the mark - overcooked hamburger, less than fresh salad, gristly chicken fried, etc. Overall they do a pretty good job on comfort food and have been serving ti since 1940 which says something in the fickle restaurant business.
Personally, I liked the old EAs better in its more central location on the corner of Broadway and Hildebrand. I also liked the curvy art deco interior and exterior design of the building. But that's when Curly had hair and gas was $2.50 a gallon!
I've eaten here for breakfast and lunch. I found lunch to be better. Staff is very nice. Very clean cute place. I'd eat here again.
Order the thins! Good food and good service!
Stay Thirsty My Friends
+4.5
Anyone who's lived in San Antonio for many years knows of Earl Abel's from back in the days when it was on Broadway. You were really transported to another era in that building. It's still that way in some respects, just not quite to the level it was. I've had lunch and dinner there a few times, but today was the first time I've had breakfast there. Overall, I'd say the experience was lackluster. We had a large party and the service was pretty good. We had a whole room to ourselves on a Saturday morning from 10-11am. The place was not very busy. The food was just okay. I think I expected more and was a little let down. Thought the biscuits would we great, but they were average. The gravy for the chicken fried steak really lacked flavor - tasted like flour and water. Didn't expect much of the Huevos Rancheros actually - and unfortunately they delivered. We brought in a birthday cake and they told us we could not cut into it there. I guess that's fair, yet still disappointing. Fresh squeezed orange juice was a highlight. Wouldn't say I'd recommend this place for breakfast.
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Good food. For starters we had the fried pickles: These were really delicious, salty, crunchy. Appreciated them being served in a paper lined basket. All the grease soaked out of them.
I had the lunch special: chicken fried steak (gravy on the side), mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. Was flavorful, but the meat was so painfully thin all I could taste was the batter.
My mom had the fried chicken livers, french fries and salad. A very generous serving of fried chicken livers, very flavorful - liver and batter. Fries were nice and crisp. Was too full to eat the salad.
My daughter had the bison burger with fresh made potatoe chips. Eating bison was something new to me, it seemed to have onion mixed into the meat before it was cooked. Was a fairly thin piece of meat, and to be honest, wasn't anything special from a regular hamburger. The fresh made chips were very tasty.
Seemed like most of the meals start at $8.00 and up. I personally didn't care for the menu, the print was small, and it was difficult to follow. It looks and reads like a book. Would like to see more separation.
All in all, it was good food, and the service was great. We had more than enough to eat, and took a doggie bag of chicken livers home. Wish we would have had room for dessert. The pies and cakes looked delicious!
Comfort food!. Super old timey place, but so good. I love getting the onion rings here... Good for family outings but not so much a hot date. Haha. :) Really yummy though.
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What the word "institution" really means. When they hear the word "institution," North Side San Antonians are apt to think not of Huntsville but of Earl Abel's. They used to be located right smack in the middle of the run from Alamo Heights down Broadway to Downtown, and people my age (AHHS, class of '62) made that run many, many times in their teenage years.
In both decor and menu, Earl Abel's seems frozen in a '50s time warp, but that's okay. Actually, the place was built by Earl Abel Sr., nationally famous movie theater organist on the old Paramount circuit, including San Antonio's Texas Theater. He opened his first eatery on the north side in the early 1930s, and for a number of years he had branch locations all over town, but World War II killed his his expansion and he retrenched to just the Braodway location. That late, lamented building on Broadway, which originally was just a coffee shop with carhops, was designed in the ultra-modern style of 1940, with glitzy neon, red and turquoise signs, and few square corners in the architecture. So it wasn't "retro" -- it's the original which "retro" was meant to invoke, and it should have been a National Historic Site.
Okay, in a culinary sense, the menu (which has changed hardly at all over the decades) is nothing to get excited about. It's all old-fashioned, down-home cooking of the sort your grandma used to feed you -- mostly chicken fried steaks (first-rate), meat loaf (a favorite of mine), open-faced roast beef sandwiches (yum), fried chicken (Earl had the first KFC franchise in south Texas but opted out when Col. Sanders sold out in 1964), plus fried catfish, Salisbury steak, some basic (rather bland) traditional Tex-Mex, and buttered dinner rolls. But all of it is dependable, all of it is good at the very least (and it's often terrific), and the prices are downright cheap. This is also where I developed a lasting taste for tall-stacked club sandwiches.
If you're searching for "nouvelle" anything, this is not the place to come. But what's best about Earl Abel's -- aside from the silly signs on the walls and the longtime waiters and waitresses who remember all the regulars and know all the gossip (and who are dressed the way all wait staff used to dress) -- is the desserts. Cherry pie, black bottom pie, coconut custard pie, rice pudding, peach cobbler -- they're all inarguably fantastic.
In fact, we high school students in search of a cheap date knew we could always come here after a movie, just for coffee and dessert or one of Earl's famous milk shakes, and the date would be considered a success. Note that Earl Abel's also does a very heavy take-out business, and the famous pies and other desserts make up a large part of that, too.
By the way, reviewers who complain about "all the old people" should remember they won't be young forever, either. There were plenty of old folks there in the '50s & '60s when I went there; they ignored us and we ignored them. Be tolerant, people.
I love Earl's! My mom used to eat here when she was younger and the food is just as good as she remembers. The staff is warm and welcoming and the atmosphere is very charming. The food is good old home cooking and the pies are delicious. My favorites are the chicken fried steak and the roasted turkey plate. Never been disappointed.
Eating here is like being transported to another era but not in a bad way. I love their fried chicken. Desserts are heaven as well. Well worth the visit.
I just found it.! I thought it had closed for good. I've been gone from SA for 7 years & to find this gem. Reminds me of a time when people cared about quality.
Sunday Brunch. We often stop at Earl Abel's for an after church meal. Today I had the roast turkey. I grew up going to this restaurant at it's old location on Broadway. What is amazing is that through the years the quality of food and service has been maintained, even when it changed ownership! This is a great place! Don't forget dessert!
Okay..... I've been here three times and I just don't see the big deal. The food is decent but nothing special and for the prices you pay I don't think that I will return. There are a lot of seniors that eat here and I understand that maybe they might like the bland food. I've only had breakfast here and it's hard to mess up. Portions aren't very generous but the service is good. It was clean and the atmosphere is nice. Better than the last location.For someone who likes basic diner food this is the place for them.
Kind of like a time capsule... Late 60's maybe. Good pancakes and omelets. Art deco chandeliers and big comfy booths. Carpet looks really dated, but nice. Lots of regulars here. A hip place for senior citizens.
Best ever. Earl Abel's makes the best fried chicken I've ever had. It's been ten years since I last lived in SA, but when I think chicken, I think Earl Abel's.
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A San Antonio Institution.. This venerable institution of good, basic, home-style cooked meals is as comfortable as they come. The menu reads like my minds picture of my Grandmas kitchen. And that was absolutely one of my favorite places, and so is Earl Abel's. Yes, it is a favorite with Senior Citizens, because they know they have been Abel to depend on this place for 77 years. (Even though its in a new location) Let me say that again to let it get through. 77 YEARS!! No - its not hip, or flashy, or a place to be seen. Its a place to go eat a good solid meal, in comfortable surroundings, at a reasonable price. The fried chicken alone is worth coming here. Just want coffee and a dessert? Try this - 7 different cakes, Éclair's, 12 kinds of pies (including Egg Custard, which is really hard to find these days) Cheesecake, Bread Pudding, & Cream Puffs - made fresh daily!!! This is a San Antonio Institution that everyone should try at least once. I'll be in the corner booth enjoying a good meal, some good coffee, and "The Old People" (I don't know about you, but I truly love my Grandparents)
Good.... not great.. If you like your meal with a side order of old people smell, this is the place! The food is consistently pretty good. The hallway to the bathrooms is like something out of The Shining. It's musty and looks gross. Try to avoid it.
Wow! I've been eating at Earl Abel's since I was a kid (when it was located on Broadway). Great comfort food. You have to try the fried chicken. This was the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in San Antonio. The ecclairs are excellent.
Desserts are great. Americana, nothing overly special. Seniors are always here. Good fried chicken, good chicken and dumplings. Not a bad stop.
Great food. The lemon merangie pie is some of the best I have ever had.
The fried chicken is amazing! It has the best chocolate pie too! I love it. It's such a good resturant.
The Colonel's Chicken Perfected. If you look on the walls of the new Earl Abels you see pictures of Earl Abel with Colonel Saunders. The story goes that Earl Abel helped the colonel develop his secret recipe of herbs and spices. But, Mr. Abel took the recipe, modified and perfected it. The result is fried chicken of a much higher quality than the colonel ever produced.
EXCELLENT food!!!. We found the web site:
http://www.earlabelssa.com/
and thanks to TOMTOM we had no trouble finding it. I had the best fried chicken I have ever had and the tea was awesome! Rarely drink more than one or two glasses with my meal but had six glasses of this delish tea with the even more delish meal. HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you are looking for out of the way local restaurants to visit like we were. This is ONE jewel we plan on making a regular stop in our travels. CJ
We've many great things about this place. We finally went there. I went there for the bone-in fried chicken, but I ended up with chicken (tenders) and waffle. First of the portion is big. The tenders are juicy and flavorful and the waffle was fluffy and good. I got full that I didn't get any of the desserts and pies. The good news, it is a reason for me to go back. Which I will definitely will.
UPDATE: we went back for the pies! We had the banana creme and key lime. They were both delightful! These are not your pre-packed pies that they defrost. These are made with fresh ingredients. My favorite is the key lime. Tell you what, the key lime (they said from Key West), is the definite star of this pie. The banana creme is up there too.
Earl Abel's is always fabulous! The food is reliably delicious and Stayton is a terrific server. Highly recommend the fried chicken tender sandwich add fried egg, or the chicken and waffles (bring your appetite!), the chicken fried steak, oh everything there is delicious!
Came here for brunch with some friends and had a great time. The servers are super friendly, helpful and ours had the funniest personality. We started with some nachos which surprised us a little bit as they had gravy but they were delicious, definitely a great way to start our meal. We also had the hibiscus mimosas which were amazing! I had the two piece chicken meal and got their spicy chicken with mac n cheese and a salad. The meal also comes with a biscuit which was homemade and a little crusty on the outside with a nice fluffy inside. The chicken has a great spice level and it's fried perfectly with a nice crispy skin and juicy meat. Reminded me of how my grandma made fried chicken. Everyone else ordered the waffles and chicken and really enjoy their meals and complimented the fresh waffles.
Such a cute little corner eatery. And it's less than 10 min from our apt! Cozy and quaint with cute little signs on the walls. Food was amazing and hot
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Update: We ate breakfast here today. I had the chicken and waffles and scrambled eggs which were very good. Waiter suggested, so Hubby had meatloaf, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese which he said was very good. They were out of Cream puff desserts so purchased a large chocolate chip cookie and it was fresh and very good as well. Parking is very limited in front of building but there is parking around the back.
We picked up lunch today of 2 orders of fried chicken and waffles and a BLT with fries, and a slice of German chocolate cake, chocolate icebox cake, Cream puff and Apple pie. The waffles were excellent. The fried chicken was well seasoned including the flour batter but the chicken was not cleaned but was full of fat. Cleaned all the fat off each piece and them enjoyed the chicken. BLT sandwich with fries that were seasoned very good. Customer service was great! Food was very good except excess fat on chicken. Desserts were all very good. We will return again and would definitely recommend.
I specifically went there to get a maple pecan pie for my son. He says that's his favorite pie out of all pies, so I went to get it for his birthday. I have to say they are delicious. Always are.
Anyways... I went into Earl Able's yesterday and I was greeted/assisted by Stayton. He was quit jovial for it to be so early. His spirit and personality is what they need around there. Very helpful and knowledgeable. He even talked me into getting there lunch special for the day.
The chicken sandwich was ok. The piece of chicken was small compared to other places and it was a bit over cooked. It was nicely seasoned though.
I will always return for the maple pecan pie. And I would also return because of the outstanding customer service. I'd probably just try something different on the menu next time.
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Glad I finally was Able to visit this San Antonio landmark! At first I was worried about the parking but there's a good sized little lot off to the rear right side of the building. Of course, I ordered their FAMOUS FRIED CHICKEN which happened to be the special of the day: 2 pieces of amazing fried chicken, fries, and a biscuit for only $7.50 - You can't beat that!!! The chicken was AMAZING and I'm still trying to fugure out what that extra scrumptious taste is that makes it stand out amongst Gus's and Chatman's. Right now it's tied for the 2nd best fried chicken I've evertasted (In my opinion) behind Gus's and maybe a smidge above Chatman's... 🤷♂️ I added a side of green beans, but at $3.95, but should've just stayed with what came with the special and I still would've been filled up nicely. On the way out I was drawn to the pie display case and couldn't leave without trying a slice of Key Lime Pie. It was fantabulous with it's fresh, tangy-ness and luxurious whipped cream. Service was friendly, and food took a bit, but I honestly feel everything was made right after ordering! Make time to visit this jewel off Broadway. Make enough time to enjoy the home-cooked food, the great atmosphere, and friendly service! Gotta come back for other homestyle favorites like CFS and CFC!
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Earlier this week, Eder reached out to me graciously inviting us to visit @earlabelssa. She had read my post for @lumpiasrollin and realized Dad was from Bicol. Her husband, Danny, is also from Bicol. We actually tried to eat there for Pi Day but because they were short staffed, they couldn't accommodate us out for patio dining.
Dinner tonight was like having dinner with family. Dad felt so at home speaking in Tagalog and Bicolano. The Badiola's hospitality is set high.
When I saw the Chicken Leg Bloody Mary on the menu, I knew I had to try it. The Bloody Mary was spicy good! Dad eyed my chicken leg and ended up eating most of it. Normally, their Meatloaf Plate is a special on Fridays. They accommodated us and Dad and I shared the plate. We had the mashed potatoes and cole slaw. The Filipino style cole slaw was so good that Dad finished the whole thing. We also had several appetizer dishes - fried pickles, fried mushrooms and nachos. My husband had the 3-piece dark fried chicken. We had so much food leftover!
It's not meal at Earl Abel's without the pies. We sampled the Key Lime, Chocolate Ice Box, Apple with Vanilla ice cream and the Banana Cream Pie. They had run out of the Strawberry Shortcake Pie.
The Badiola's wanted to treat us for the whole meal but Dad insisted we pay. Honestly, we were charged nominally for all the food. Such great hospitality and kindness to all of us.
Armani did a great job serving us even though they were short staffed. What a great experience!
Did you know? Earl Abel's is the first franchise of KFC with the fried chicken!
The chicken fried steak plate was very good. The thin coating on steak was just right, which made the steak better. The green beans with bacon and tomato were good. The French fries were very good, and crispy.
My wife's chicken and waffle plate was very good. The waffle was very good and with the chicken, it is sensational.
Me and my boyfriend came to Texas from Michigan for a nice getaway. While driving looking for food we came across your restaurant was the best hands down! Our waiter was so good and the guy that bakes was AMAZING he made us fresh lemonade that we soooooo INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS! We end up coming back here again before we ended out trip in Texas to head back to Michigan the bakery guy made us his homemade strawberry lemonade OMGOODNESS it was AMAZING thank you so much for your great service we enjoyed everything especially your homemade drinks that we wish we could have right now!
Ok so I wanted a salad. My grown son says hey there's a restaurant at the Pearl, it's super good, I'm sure they have salad. They do.... its a side salad... it was good. Let's discuss this calorie ridden deliciousness pictured below. This is the BEST burger I've ever had with the perfect fries. The chicken and waffles my son got was a piece of art, he ate through the bones. I'm sure there was not a morsel left. Then after the calorie fest he wants pie... PIE! Ok so all my calories in one meal. Yes we got key lime pie. It's so dreamy and smooth.
Go eat here. Just go. It's amazing.
Crispy Fried chicken with decent breading cooked just right. Fries were also battered and had a good crunch and flavor.
Classic comfort food. Small diner located outside the pearl. Parking is limited when it gets busy. The service was excellent the baker was filled with energy and spread plenty of laughter in the restaurant. She didn’t let you leave without a smile. They also have a bar.
The photos I’d seen online had made me want to try this place really bad and I was pretty excited to try pretty much everything. I’m sad to say I wasn’t nearly as impressed as I thought I’d be. The staff was super helpful and the food looked really good but the flavors just didn’t hit the mark for me. The gravy for my chicken fried steak was very congealed and not very warm at all. We also had an Eclair and a Cream Puff but both were sickeningly sweet. Overall I don’t think we will be returning.
Excellent experience! Loved our server. Appreciate him understanding my diet constraints ❤️
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