Y’all better get out your stretchy pants, Plano. With so many delicious diner-inspired choices, you’re going to be tempted to try one of everything at the new Plano location of Norma’s Café.
A Dallas institution in southern comfort food since 1956, Norma’s Café is prepping to open its fifth location at Plano’s Creekwalk Village near 15th Street and Central Expressway. Starting Tuesday, June 13, you can get their famous chicken fried steak or a slice of the “mile high pie” a little closer to home. The first 100 folks in line when the doors officially open at 6 a.m. get free chicken fried steak for a year! Every 50th guest after that will have the opportunity to spin a prize wheel to win more goodies.
Norma Manis opened the café in Oak Cliff in 1956 and served the area’s best comfort food for 30 years. Ed Murph was a regular customer of Norma’s for years, starting back when he attended nearby Adamson High School. When Norma retired in 1986, Ed jumped at the opportunity to buy the diner. He is responsible for the growth and new locations throughout the years, and as of 2017, Ed has officially owned Norma’s for one year longer than Norma did. That’s an impressive 61 combined years of chicken fried steak, fried pickles and almost more pies and cakes than you can imagine.
The café in Plano will serve the same great food and desserts you’ve come to expect from Norma’s, but it has a new feature no other location can boast about – a private dining room for parties and events. It’s already being pre-booked for business dinners, family gatherings and team sports parties. (May I suggest a dessert party?)
Stepping into Norma’s is kinda like being Marty McFly as he entered the diner in “Back to the Future.” You halfway expect to see Biff and his pals wandering around with all the gals in poodle skirts. With its vintage Americana décor, 1950s diner atmosphere and deliciously authentic food made the same now as it was then – yes, many recipes are still Norma’s original recipes from 1956 – you can easily travel back to a simpler time.
Some things you need to know before you go: Norma’s Café serves breakfast ALL DAY. They have an extensive menu and you will be able to find many of your diner favorites: meat loaf, chicken and dressing, pot roast, plenty of burgers, salads for something lighter, fried catfish – even Texas Frito pie. They are BYOB for dinner. They’ve got pie. And cake. And cobbler. And ice cream. (Sense why stretchy pants are a must?) So save room for dessert. Norma’s motto is “Life is short, eat dessert first!” and who can argue with that?
Also be prepared for the folks at Norma’s to get to know you; after all, they are all about fostering a sense of community. So now you’re ready. Be like Biff, make like a tree and get outta here, and head over to Norma’s Café.
More photos of the Plano location of Norma’s Café:
