Restaurants in Kilgore, Texas
Listings checked against Texas Comptroller permit data · Updated October 2026
Restaurant Directory: Kilgore
A directory of 53 restaurants, 6 food trucks, and 7 bars & nightlife spots, built from active Texas sales-tax permits, grouped by cuisine where the name makes it clear.
Barbecue (2)
- Kilgore Smokehouse ↗
Texas barbecue restaurant on Industrial Blvd serving chopped-beef sandwiches, Pittsburg hot links and meat plates with sides; dine-in, carryout and delivery.
- Bodacious Bar-B-Q ↗ $
Kilgore location of the East Texas Bodacious Bar-B-Q family, established in the 1960s, serving beef, pork, sausage and hot wings with sides like mac & cheese and fried beans.
Mexican & Tex-Mex (11)
- Edgar's Big Taco ↗ $
Downtown Kilgore taqueria serving street tacos, tortas and homestyle Mexican food for dine-in and takeout; also runs a food truck.
- Taco Bell ↗ chain $
Taco Bell fast-food restaurant on US-259 N.
- Taco Bueno ↗ chain $
Taco Bueno fast-food Tex-Mex restaurant on N Kilgore St.
- The Burrito Shop
Local Mexican spot on N Kilgore St known for burritos.
- Calesa Mexican Restaurant $$
Sit-down Mexican restaurant on SH-31 E.
- Don Chepe's Tacos Y Mas $
Taqueria on SH-31 E serving tacos and Tex-Mex plates; grew from the owner's earlier Don Chepe's Tacos stand on SH-135 N.
- El Gallito Taqueria
Taqueria on S Henderson Blvd serving tacos and Mexican plates.
- El Pollo Cachuchon
Kilgore outlet of a small Texas Mexican-style grilled-chicken (pollo asado) chain with Longview and Fort Worth locations.
- El Sombrero ↗
Kilgore location of the Longview-based El Sombrero, billed as home of the original white cheese dip, serving Tex-Mex.
- The Jalapeño Tree ↗ bar $$
Family-run East Texas Tex-Mex restaurant, open in Kilgore since June 1995, with full-service dining, a patio, a bar and catering.
- Maria's Mexican Restaurant
Family-run Mexican restaurant on US-259 N serving Tex-Mex plates and lunch guisados.
Burgers & American (10)
- Burger King ↗ chain $
Burger King fast-food restaurant on US-259 N serving flame-grilled Whoppers, fries and breakfast.
- Char-Burger Stockade $
Longtime downtown Kilgore burger stand known for char-grilled hamburgers and bacon cheeseburgers.
- The Back Porch ↗ bar
Kilgore restaurant and bar on Broadway Blvd, a local gathering spot with a full bar and American grill fare.
- Chili's Grill & Bar ↗ bar chain $$
Chili's Grill & Bar casual-dining chain restaurant on US-259 N serving burgers, fajitas, ribs and margaritas.
- Dairy Queen ↗ chain $
Dairy Queen Grill & Chill on N Henderson Blvd serving burgers, chicken strips and Blizzard treats.
- Sonic Drive-In ↗ $
Sonic Drive-In on N Henderson Blvd serving burgers, hot dogs, tots and slushes with carhop service.
- McDonald's ↗ chain $
McDonald's fast-food restaurants in Kilgore serving burgers, fries and breakfast.
Us Highway 259 N · permit since 2018 - McKay's Ranch House
Family-owned country-cooking restaurant on US-259 N known for chicken-fried steak, a salad bar and bread pudding.
- Wendy's ↗ chain $
Wendy's fast-food restaurant on SH-42 N serving square hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, Frosty desserts and breakfast.
- Whataburger ↗ chain $
Whataburger fast-food restaurant on N Henderson Blvd serving made-to-order burgers, taquitos and shakes.
Steakhouse (1)
- Jack Ryan's Steak & Chophouse ↗ bar $$$
Downtown Kilgore fine-dining steakhouse serving fresh, never-frozen steaks and seafood with a full bar; sister restaurant in Tyler.
Chicken & Wings (4)
- Chicken Express ↗ $
Chicken Express fast-food restaurant on N Henderson Blvd serving fried chicken tenders, sides and sweet tea.
- Wingstop ↗ chain $
Wingstop chain restaurant on US-259 N serving classic and boneless wings in a range of flavors with seasoned fries.
- Chick-fil-A ↗ chain $
Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant on N Kilgore St serving chicken sandwiches, nuggets and waffle fries.
- Popeyes ↗ chain $
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen fast-food outlet on US-259 N serving fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, tenders and Cajun-style sides.
Seafood & Cajun (1)
- Kilgore Crawfish & Seafood
Seafood restaurant on SH-42 N serving boiled crawfish, shrimp dinners, fried catfish and Cajun seafood.
Pizza & Italian (6)
- Little Caesars ↗ $
Little Caesars carryout pizza store on N Kilgore St serving Hot-N-Ready pizzas, Crazy Bread and wings.
- Mazzio's Italian Eatery ↗ $
Mazzio's Italian Eatery on US-259 N serving pizza, pasta, calzones and a lunch buffet.
- Mr. Gatti's Pizza ↗ $
Mr. Gatti's Pizza on Stone St serving pizza, pasta, salads and wings, with a family game room.
- Pizza Hut ↗ chain $
Pizza Hut delivery and carryout store on N Kilgore St serving pizzas, wings and pasta.
- Venecia's Italian Kitchen $
Downtown Kilgore Italian restaurant on E Main St serving pizza, pasta and other Italian dishes.
- Domino's Pizza ↗ chain $
Domino's delivery and carryout pizza store on N Henderson Blvd.
Asian (2)
- Lava Buffet & Sushi ↗
All-you-can-eat Chinese and sushi buffet in Kilgore Plaza serving sushi rolls, sashimi and Chinese classics.
- Panda Express ↗ chain $
Panda Express counter-service outlet on N Kilgore St serving American-Chinese dishes such as orange chicken, chow mein and fried rice.
Breakfast & Diner (1)
- Denny's ↗
Denny's family diner near I-20 on State Highway 42 N serving all-day breakfast, burgers and diner plates.
Sandwiches & Delis (3)
- Schlotzsky's ↗
Schlotzsky's deli franchise serving toasted sandwiches, pizzas, flatbreads and salads; this location also sells Cinnabon cinnamon rolls.
- Downtown D'Lites Cafe ↗ $
Downtown Kilgore lunch cafe serving sandwiches, salads, soups, stuffed potatoes and desserts, plus teas and coffee.
- Subway ↗ chain $
Subway sandwich shops in Kilgore serving made-to-order subs, wraps and salads, at Houston St and the Kilgore Shopping Center (Midtown Plaza).
Midtown Plz · Houston St · Old Highway 135 N · permit since 1998
Mediterranean & Middle Eastern (1)
- Solaris Mediterranean Delicatessen
Small Mediterranean delicatessen in Kilgore's Midtown Plaza.
Coffee, Sweets & Bakery (11)
- Zen Kitchen BakeHouse & Craft Beverage Company ↗ bar $
Downtown Kilgore bakehouse and cafe serving coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads and brunch, with craft cocktails, beer and wine.
- Charlie's Sno-Balls & Seasonal Tanning $
Seasonal sno-ball stand in Kilgore Plaza serving shaved-ice sno-balls in a range of flavors, sharing space with a tanning business.
- Cozy Coffee Station ↗
Family-owned coffee shop on Midtown Plaza serving handcrafted espresso drinks, sodas, milkshakes and pastries such as scones.
- Crazy Cup
Downtown ice cream shop on N Rusk St, also listed as Crazy Kup El Vaso Loco.
- The Fillin Station $
Coffee house and breakfast cafe on Higginbotham Rd serving coffee drinks, donuts, kolaches, meat pies and sandwiches; open since 2015.
- Kilgore Donut Shop
Donut shop on Kilgore Plaza serving donuts and breakfast pastries.
- Tasty Donuts
Donut shop on US Highway 259 N known for apple fritters and cake donuts.
- 7 Brew Coffee ↗ $
Drive-thru coffee stand from the 7 Brew chain serving espresso drinks, smoothies, teas and energy drinks.
- Dunkin' ↗ chain
Dunkin' coffee and donut shop on State Highway 42 N near I-20, serving coffee, espresso drinks, donuts and breakfast sandwiches.
- Mr. Freeze Shoppe
Frozen-treat and snack shop on Houston St whose menu includes esquites.
- The Grand Empress Tea Room ↗
English-style tearoom downtown serving weekday lunches and reservation-only formal high teas on three-tier stands with tea sandwiches, scones and pastries.
Food Trucks & Trailers (6)
- Cajun Ben's Crawfish And Catering Mark Pl · permit since 2021
- Dos Hermanos Tacos Peavine Rd · permit since 2025
- Eddies Chuck Wagon N Point Rd · permit since 2024
- Honey's Italian Ice And Gelato Private Road 3561 · permit since 2020
- Mister Freeze Carlisle Dr · permit since 2015
- Roz's Eats Fm 3053 · permit since 2013
Bars, Pubs & Nightlife (7)
- La Avenida Restaurant Y La Cantinita Bar Bar
- Walton's Bar
Neighborhood bar on Industrial Blvd in Kilgore.
- Chili's Grill & Bar American + full bar chain $$
Chili's Grill & Bar casual-dining chain restaurant on US-259 N serving burgers, fajitas, ribs and margaritas.
- Jack Ryan's Steak & Chophouse Steakhouse + full bar $$$
Downtown Kilgore fine-dining steakhouse serving fresh, never-frozen steaks and seafood with a full bar; sister restaurant in Tyler.
- The Back Porch American + full bar
Kilgore restaurant and bar on Broadway Blvd, a local gathering spot with a full bar and American grill fare.
- The Jalapeño Tree Tex-Mex + full bar $$
Family-run East Texas Tex-Mex restaurant, open in Kilgore since June 1995, with full-service dining, a patio, a bar and catering.
- Zen Kitchen BakeHouse & Craft Beverage Company Cafe + full bar $
Downtown Kilgore bakehouse and cafe serving coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads and brunch, with craft cocktails, beer and wine.
Sourced from the Texas Comptroller's active permit records. A spot that recently closed or changed hands may occasionally still appear — let us know and we'll fix it.
Source: Texas Comptroller — Active Sales Tax Permit Holders (NAICS 722)
Kilgore's food is mostly local and unfussy: barbecue, a downtown burger stand, a steakhouse, and a long row of Tex-Mex. The best-known name, Country Tavern, sits just west of town on FM 2767 and has been open since about 1939.
Here's where to eat in Kilgore.
Barbecue
Country Tavern, at 1526 FM 2767 near SH 31 just west of Kilgore, opened around 1939 as a café beside a liquor store. It's known for hickory-smoked ribs in a sweet, dark-red sauce, which Texas Monthly called the prettiest ribs in the region in 2008.
In town, Kilgore Smokehouse on Industrial Blvd serves chopped-beef sandwiches, Pittsburg hot links and meat plates. Bodacious Bar-B-Q on TX-42 is part of the East Texas Bodacious family, which dates to the 1960s, and smokes beef, pork and sausage. Sunbird Barbecue, a 2025 Texas Monthly Top 50 pick, is in Longview, about 15 minutes east.
Downtown Kilgore
Downtown, near the World's Richest Acre and its lighted derricks, you can walk between several spots. The Char-Burger Stockade on N Kilgore St is a longtime burger stand known for char-grilled burgers. Jack Ryan's Steak & Chophouse on N Longview St serves never-frozen steaks and seafood with a full bar.
For something lighter, Downtown D'Lites Cafe does sandwiches, soups and stuffed potatoes. The Grand Empress Tea Room serves weekday lunches and formal high teas by reservation. Zen Kitchen BakeHouse on S Rusk St has coffee, pastries, brunch and craft drinks. On E Main St, Edgar's Big Taco serves street tacos and tortas, and Venecia's Italian Kitchen serves pizza and pasta.
Tex-Mex and Home Cooking
The Jalapeño Tree on US-259 N is family-run and has been in Kilgore since June 1995. It has a patio and a bar. Also on US-259 N are Maria's Mexican Restaurant, which serves lunch guisados, and McKay's Ranch House, a family-owned country-cooking spot known for chicken-fried steak, a salad bar and bread pudding.
On SH-31 E you'll find Calesa Mexican Restaurant and Don Chepe's Tacos Y Mas. El Sombrero on N Henderson Blvd is a branch of the Longview original that bills itself as the home of white cheese dip. Kilgore Crawfish & Seafood on SH-42 N boils crawfish and fries catfish.
Coffee and Sweets
The Fillin Station on Higginbotham Rd has served coffee, donuts, kolaches and meat pies since 2015. Cozy Coffee Station on Midtown Plaza is a family-owned espresso and milkshake stop. Kilgore Donut Shop and Tasty Donuts handle the early-morning crowd, and Charlie's Sno-Balls in Kilgore Plaza opens seasonally.
FAQ: Dining in Kilgore
Country Tavern, just west of town at 1526 FM 2767 near SH 31, has been open since about 1939 and is known for its ribs. In town, Kilgore Smokehouse on Industrial Blvd and Bodacious Bar-B-Q on TX-42 are the barbecue options. Sunbird Barbecue in Longview, a 2025 Texas Monthly Top 50 pick, is about 15 minutes east.
Hickory-smoked ribs in a sweet, dark-red sauce. It opened around 1939 as a café beside a liquor store. It sits on FM 2767 just west of Kilgore.
Downtown options include the Char-Burger Stockade for burgers, Jack Ryan's Steak & Chophouse for steaks, Downtown D'Lites Cafe for lunch, the Grand Empress Tea Room for high tea, Zen Kitchen BakeHouse for coffee and brunch, Edgar's Big Taco and Venecia's Italian Kitchen.
No. Brigitta's Hungarian Restaurant on SH-31 E closed in October 2024 after about seven years in business.
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Kilgore in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Best Restaurants in East Texas
Where to eat in East Texas, with sourced facts: Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q and Rick's on the Square in Tyler, Athens and the hamburger, Tyler-born Mercados and Posados, First Monday in Canton, and Moore's Store in Ben Wheeler.
Read Guide →East Texas BBQ: The Best Smokehouses and Pits
East Texas BBQ explained: chopped, sauced, pork as often as beef — how it differs from Central Texas style, plus Tyler's Stanley's and Pat Gee's.
Read Guide →East Texas Farmers Markets and Local Produce
East Texas farmers markets and u-pick farms, with sources: Tyler's Rose City Farmers Market, the Whitehouse market, Jacksonville's Tomato Fest, and the berry farms on KLTV's 2025 u-pick list.
Read Guide →East Texas Festivals and Annual Events
Season-by-season guide to East Texas festivals and events — Canton's First Monday Trade Days, the Texas Rose Festival, the Yamboree, Wonderland of Lights and more, checked against each host's own site.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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