Lancaster Soul Food Restaurant serves casseroles and other family recipes

Casserole Soul Cafe is 18 miles south of downtown Dallas, but it feels like a small town restaurant, much further out of Dallas than a 25-minute drive. It’s a southern restaurant that offers soulful food like fried catfish, fried pork chops, chicken fried chicken, and a plethora of sides.

Casserole Soul Cafe can be found in historic Lancaster Square, which was established in the mid-19th century. The shops have brick windows and windows overlooking the square, all covered with a red wooden awning running the length of the block. Each establishment has a wooden sign hanging from the awning, bearing its name.

The interior of the restaurant bears witness to the history of the building. It has a stamped sheet ceiling that has been painted white, exposed brick walls, and worn wooden floors. A table above the cash register displays the daily specials.

Service is friendly and familiar, and customers are greeted by name. Casserole Soul Café is the kind of place that draws regulars.

Stephen Cobb is the owner of Casserole Soul Cafe, which he opened in early 2018 with his friend and former colleague Robert Roberts, who runs the kitchen. Cobb ran a club in Oak Cliff, Phat Catz, where Roberts was the chef.

For years they had been talking about the possibility of opening a restaurant together, but it wasn’t until Cobb found the space in Lancaster Town Square that they decided to go ahead. .

“When I told Robert that I had found the perfect spot, he was on board,” says Cobb. “We are lucky to have this space. Turns out to be ideal … the mood goes with the food I think. It’s a good fit.

At the very beginning, Casserole Soul Cafe only served casseroles, a dish Cobb regularly cooked for his family.

“Pans cover all food groups and they feed a lot of people,” Cobb explains.

But it didn’t take long for people familiar with Phat Catz’s food to start asking for more items on the menu, especially the wings, for which the club has become well known.

“We actually serve the whole wing, not just the drums,” says Cobb. “People love these wings. It’s a good homestyle wing.

Cobb and Roberts used family recipes to create the Casserole Soul Cafe menu.

“We create these dishes that we grew up on,” Cobb says.

The menu includes chicken fried steak ($ ​​12.95), roast ($ 12.95), chicken fillets ($ 9.50), meatloaf ($ 11.95) and more.

“I think we have the best meatloaf in town,” says Cobb. “It’s one of Chef Robert’s recipes, and he uses his own secret seasoning. I don’t even know what’s in it.

Of course, they also serve the eponymous casseroles, which are fresh of the day. When we visited on a recent Sunday, they offered Chicken Tetrazzini ($ 8.95), Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole ($ 8.95), and Baked Spaghetti ($ 8.95). All casseroles are served with only one side.

“We’ve been doing well since we opened,” says Cobb. “We haven’t done a lot of marketing, but people seem to be hearing from us.”

This is due, without a doubt, to the quality and value of the food served by Casserole Soul Cafe.

“We cook to order and serve large portions,” says Cobb. “We put a lot of love in our food.”

Soul Café casserole, 133 Historic Town Square, Lancaster. 469-914-5005. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to Sunday; closed on Mondays.