If you're looking for one of the best chicken-fried steaks in the state of Texas, check out Nolan's Restaurant in Corpus Christi, which has been feeding hungry hordes for over 50 years and is locally owned by the Culp family.

"We bread it per order," said co-owner Nolan Culp Jr., when asked what sets his CFS apart from the rest. "Most restaurants pre-bread."

Three locations means you're close enough to taste-test it yourself:

• 7426 S. Staples St.
• 4117 S. Staples St.
• 14101 Northwest Blvd.

The breading and gravy are made from scratch. The tenderized steak is first dipped into seasoned flour and then into milk before it hits the fryer. The result is a crispy brown, tender steak topped with gravy and served with homemade mashed potatoes and green beens simmered in onion and bacon. Warm, homemade bread topped with sesame seeds rounds out the home-cooked goodness.

Nolan's also serves steaks, seafood, po'boy sandwiches. The popular fried shrimp often sells out, and the Philly cheese steak is another favorite. But the chicken-fried steak has hit the big time, with its picture appearing in best-of lists across the state.

"In other parts of the country, you have fried chicken," Culp said. "In Texas, we have chicken-fried steak. It's a wholesome food, tenderized and breaded. It's good."

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