Searching for someplace simple where you can score a stack of syrup-soaked buttermilk pancakes and a piping-hot cup of black coffee -- No frills, no fusions and no swarms of Insta-obsessed influencers? Slip into a booth or slide behind the counter at one of Houston’s longstanding diners.

Trigger nostalgia and unrelenting fried food cravings in an instant with three simple words: Chicken fried steak. The beloved dish is a southern staple, a comfort food and a great unifier among us Houstonians. Regardless of where you’re from or who you are, chances are you’re likely to like chicken fried steak. After all, what’s not to love? Seriously, who (aside from vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, etc.) could actually resist the crispy golden crust, the tenderized beef and the sumptuous coat of peppercorn white gravy?