Head down Main Street in Frisco, Texas, and you’ll spot trendy boutiques, sunny patios perfect for happy hour and even the National Soccer Hall of Fame. You’ll also find the oldest family-owned business in town: The Depot Café, which has served comfort food favorites to Frisco citizens since 1999. But even before that, the Francis family has operated a business here for more than 60 years.
In 1959, Henry Francis opened Henry’s Grocery just next door to where the Depot Café stands today. Just three months later, and due to the success of Henry’s Grocery, the building owner wanted the space back, forcing Henry Francis and his wife, Anna Jean Francis, to build a new grocery store on the lot next door where the Depot Café is now located. As supermarket chains moved into town over the years, Henry’s Grocery became Henry’s Supermarket, and in 1987, after he decided to not compete with the big chains anymore, Henry converted the front portion of the store into a convenience store, complete with a deli and gas pumps. The back portion was vacant, waiting for its moment to shine.
After Henry passed away in 1996, his son, Dennis Francis, bought the property and convenience store. Customers kept nudging him to open the empty back portion of the store, so in 1999, he and his wife, Deborah Francis, set up tables and expanded the kitchen to create the Depot Café. “Deb came up with the name, because we’re just a block away from the original Frisco Depot,” says Dennis, who notes that Frisco’s roots are grounded in the railroad, and the town is named in honor of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway.
The original depot is gone now, but the Depot Café is still going strong after almost a quarter of a century, serving up down-home classics from family recipes. Locals love the meatloaf lunch special, served alongside creamy mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans, and the chicken spaghetti topped with melted cheese — both made from old family recipes. There are even some menu items from Dennis’ personal arsenal, including the fork-tender pot roast, slow cooked for hours and served with mashed potatoes, green beans, a dinner roll and a piece of homemade cake, which changes all the time. It’s the perfect pick-me-up after a long morning of work meetings, or when you’re needing a meal that feels like home.
Of course, there’s also country staples like chicken-fried steak, fried pork chops and crispy, golden-fried chicken that’s available at the restaurant and the attached convenience store, but a must-try menu item is the fried catfish, which comes with hushpuppies and your choice of two sides. (The baked potato, onion rings, and fried okra are all solid choices.) Here, the catfish is breaded with a special seasoning that’s been in the family for generations. And no, Dennis isn’t giving up any secrets to the seasoning, only that it does have a cornmeal base to make every bite of the fried fish extra crunchy. “I’ve had people come from Louisiana and Mississippi to try the catfish here, and they tell me it’s just as good here as it is there, where they’ve got some of the best catfish in the South,” he says.
Make sure someone in your group orders a burger, as the juicy patties here are a half-pound each and made from Angus beef and loaded with your favorite burger toppings, nestled on a pillowy bun and served with your choice of tater tots, fries, or onion rings. Seared on a well-seasoned flat-top grill, these burgers are a classic example of killer American diner grub, able to satisfy the hungriest of appetites.
A surprising menu find is a full section of vegan options. “Two of my kids are vegan,” says Dennis, “and they pushed me to put vegan items on the menu.” The jackfruit taco is a treat, made with grilled onions and jalapenos, bell pepper, cilantro, avocado and served on a flour or corn tortilla of your choice. And the black bean burger served on a gluten-free bun is a nice change of pace from a beef patty, even for the carnivore at heart. Dennis adds that the vegan pancakes are a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike, and that many people now order them over regular pancakes. “Usually, it’s the younger generation that goes for the vegan items, but it’s been worth it to put them on the menu.”
Over the years, all eight of Dennis and Deborah’s children have worked at the Depot Café, helping to run the convenience store and deli and restaurant operations as well. “I had a built-in staff for a while,” Dennis jokes, but also adds that turnover here is relatively low. “It’s a family atmosphere, not a corporate atmosphere,” he says. “I’ve had one employee for 18 years and another for 20, both on the convenience store side. And on the café side, a lot of the cooks have been here since we opened.” Two of the Francis children, Caleb and Emily, still work here, and the cafe and convenience store is currently in its fifth generation. “It’s really a family feeling here,” Dennis says.
And from the time you walk in the door, order your plate at the counter, and enjoy a home-cooked meal amongst loyal customers who come in week after week, you really feel it.
The Depot Café’s busiest time is at lunch, but Friday nights are also popular and have been since inception. The catfish is just as popular on Friday nights as it is during lunch, but come Saturday and Sunday, you’ll find the weekend breakfast crowd in full swing ordering French toast, huevos rancheros, and three-egg omelets loaded with an array of choices such as potato, avocado, bacon, cheese, onion, mushrooms and spinach.
Dennis says they’ve done Friday nights since the restaurant opened because the older generation in Frisco didn’t have a place to eat in town at the time. “They didn’t like to drive out on Preston Road at night and wanted something in town for a Friday night meal.”
The Depot Café is closed on Mondays, and open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday, plus open on Friday nights for dinner from 5 - 8 p.m.
