Beyond kuntry kuteness

Though Mr. Tim's was established in 2009, it has, in the café's new location close to the intersection of South Presa and South Alamo, the feeling of a place that has seen some years. The building has housed many a failed food concept in the past, and they all still linger in a space that seems to have come about by accident. The tables are too high for the chairs, the air conditioning can't seem to quite keep up, and the motley floor felt almost sticky in spots. Yet at lunchtime there were groups of people, apparently enticed by a menu offering plates from $8-$10, that didn't seem to be in any hurry to leave. If we eat with our eyes, as has too often been said, then keep them firmly fixed on the plate.

Try not to be disappointed when liver and onions proves to be unavailable. Other choices follow in liver's footsteps: chicken fried steak, chopped sirloin, a Southern fried fish plate … and my fall-back choice, the pork chop platter.

Be warned that these are not chops (there are two of them) of the thick and luxurious sort; they're thin, oddly cut, and could easily have been grilled to a dry and leathery death. But they're not: the peppery flavor is good, and if you avoid the odd bone bits, you will likely be unexpectedly pleased. The mashed potatoes are the genuine article, too, and the accompanying brown gravy seems far more real than at most places trying for kuntry kuteness. In another departure from old-timey tradition, the sliced carrots had also retained a touch of texture. Breakfast's biscuits actually come with butter; I recommend honey over the packaged grape jelly. A simple, diner-style plate of an egg your way with hash browns and a choice of bacon, sausage patties, or ham will set you back $4.49. The coffee is truly terrible, but the rest is resoundingly OK. You can't eat granola every day — or breakfast tacos, for that matter.