Comfort food usually translates to (or tastes best in) sloppy downmarket digs. And while Alfreda’s Cafeteria makes an effort, with cherry bright white-and-yellow walls, the paint job’s just sloppy enough to fit the genre. The restroom signs are in Magic Marker; the booths come in bright orange, brown, and faded peach; and the mismatched chairs are decidedly secondhand.

The beauty’s all behind the counter—namely, the women working behind it who seem to know everyone: “Hey Al, what can I get for you today?” “Good to see you, James—want chicken again?” They dish up the greatest hits of East Texas soul food from a steam table that changes daily, and the longer the food sits and stews in it, the better it gets. Plates come with a meat and three sides; we recommend the superlative fried catfish with its thin, golden crunch. Generous-sized oxtails simmered in a light stew taste like a really good pot roast. Smothered steak is tender and covered with thick, flavorful gravy. Sides benefit from long cooking, too: pulverized sweet potatoes receive a little dose of extra sugar that is complemented perfectly by earthy, metallic cabbage accented by a smoky bacon flavor. Is there anything better, really, than food that’s blissfully oblivious to culinary trends?