Po' Melvin's wins 2008 Neighbors Choice Awards for Best Home Cooking

Po' Melvin's

4070 N. Belt Line Road

By Sterling Robertson

neighborsgo Irving editor

For 20 years, Po’ Melvin’s has been dishing out some of the best home cooking there is in Irving. And to prove it, the café now has a neighborsgo Choice Award hanging on the wall showing everyone visiting that it is the best.

Sitting down at a table, visitors are immediately made aware of the fine food coming their way by the smells coming from the busy kitchen. The staff proudly serves fried delicacies such as catfish, Louisiana white shrimp and chicken-fried chicken.

Then there’s the black-eyed peas, three-time winner of the blue ribbon at the Texas State Fair, that are sure to delight patrons and convince non-pea eaters that they are missing out on a supremely good bowl of food.

The pride and joy of the “Mels,” Big Mel LeMane and his son, Little Mel, has to be the 100 percent seafood gumbo.

“I use 50 pounds of crab meat and 50 pounds of shrimp,” Big Mel told me at the table. “That’s a lot of crab. And I don’t use okra ’cause it can get slimy.”

The seafood gumbo comes with a good amount of rice to balance out the heat from the spices.

The LeManes also serve some of the most tender and juicy roast beef available. It’s smothered in brown gravy and is paired with a beautiful pile of mashed potatoes. Po’ Melvin’s also knows a thing or two about chicken. The chicken-fried chicken is perfectly sized.

All around the café there was talk of business and life, showing that the café was more than just a place for people to fill their bellies. While snacking and talking with Big Mel, one of the football coaches from Irving ISD stopped by the table to let him know about plans for meetings to be held at the restaurant.

Big Mel was quick to oblige, which goes to show that the LeManes are dedicated to serving Irving with great food and a place to just be a family.

So, the next time you’re looking for a place to quiet the rumbling in your tummy, get out to Po’ Melvin’s Café. You’re sure to leave well-fed and updated on the latest happenings in Irving.