If you love comfort food then get in line
Written: Apr 20 '05 (Updated Apr 20 '05)
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Pros: large selection of food, best pies, great value
Cons: sometimes there's a wait, not healthy
The Bottom Line: Homemade goodness worth the wait...and the drive for many. Dine in or carry out.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Gray Brothers Cafeteria |
Gray Brothers Cafeteria is a one of a kind family owned cafeteria located in Mooresville, Indiana. For some reason people drive hours out of their way to eat at this restaurant. There are often long lines that wrap around a couple times inside and all the way out the door. During peek times the wait can be around 30 minutes.
The restaurant has been there as long as I remember, I ate there on a regular basis as a child and not much has changed over the years. The place has grown and expanded and the quality of food has remained constant.
The food
When you reach the cafeteria line you are in for some major decision making. You will grab your tray and silverware and proceed down the cafeteria line.
Gray's has some wonderful food. One of their famous items is their deep fried chicken. I am not a chicken fan but this cafeteria has the best. Another favorite is their roast beef which they carve as you watch. There are plenty of other delicious selections such as meatloaf, Salisbury steak, chicken and noodles, fried livers, pork, lasagna, and more.
I really like their green beans too, they are seasoned well. There are plenty of vegetables and sides to choose from such a broccoli, corn, mashed potatoes, and more. The macaroni and cheese is surprisingly good. The food is seasoned and cooked accordingly perhaps to a Southern standard. The food is cooked fresh daily and what is not served is thrown away. Food on the serving line is removed after an hour and replaced with a new pan so no matter if you are the first to arrive or the last you are guaranteed some fresh food.
There are plenty of salads, Jello, breads, and drinks to choose from as well. Each section of the line has servers behind the serving table. The customer tells the servers what they would like and the server adds the scoop to their plate and passes the plate on down the line.
Pies
The pies get their own section in my review because they are scrumptious. Strawberry pie or coconut cream pie is my favorite but they have a large selection of pies such as chocolate, lemon, rhubarb, butterscotch, cheesecake, cherry, apple, pumpkin, some sugar-free selections, and other hard decisions. There are a lot of cake choices too but pie is the sure thing. It is a hearty serving size of pie but I would not share my piece. They make the pies fresh daily and if you are too full you can get a piece or the whole pie to take home.
Prices
You will find the selection and prices of items on the large board on the wall behind the cafeteria line. Prices vary depending on what you choose. Since you build your own meal the price depends on how much you want to eat. Generally the consensus is the price is reasonable with a generous serving size. Our meals are always under $10 per adult. There are blue plate specials and children's plates as well for added savings. There is a register at the end of the serving line to make payment by cash or charge.
The sitting area
The restaurant is very large and there are different dining areas off of the cafeteria. You sit yourself so you can mill around with your trays until you find a table big enough for your group in an atmosphere that suits you best.
You will take your plates off of the the tray and the waitress will remove the trays for you. She will be available for drink refills and replacing fallen forks as well. They will clear your plates for you when you are done.
There is a large assortment of people that dine at Gray's Cafeteria. Sometimes there are large families there, sometimes couples on dates. You'll find children in high chairs and a hot spot for the elders too. Some cafeterias are known to attract older folks but one thing that differentiates this cafeteria from the rest is there is probably nothing healthy about this cafeteria food. This food is smothered and covered with grease and butters and although all food groups are offered here the food is cooked quite a bit depleting some of the vitamins I would imagine and all of the calories are certainly included.
One of the draw backs is the dining area is fairy noisy. You can hear people shuffling their trays, silverware, coming and going, and looking for places to sit so it can get loud.
Overall the food is very good and I have certainly never left hungry.
General Information
Hours: Mon.-Thrus. 11AM-8:30PM; Fri-Sat. 11AM-9PM; Sun. 10:30AM-8:30PM
Closed Christmas day
Addres: 555 S. Indiana Street; Mooresville IN
Phone: (317) 831-3345
There was a new Gray's addition in Bloomington Indiana but that location closed down.
I would like to give 5 stars to Megugrrrl for adding my request to the database.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Save room for the pie.
Best Suited For: Large Group
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 531
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Be a coffee-drinking individual - espresso yourself!
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