Keisha’s Cafe: for the greater good

When we planned our trip to Crockett, TX we didn’t have high expectations of great restaurants in the area. To our surprise there were many wonderful places to eat in Crockett, and Keisha’s Cafe was right at the top of the list.

Keisha’s Cafe is located in downtown Crocket in an older rustic building, and very quaint on the inside. I had done a bit of research and found that they had very good reviews, so we decided to give them a try. The lovely waitress (who we later found out is Keishia’s adorable daughter) came over and handed us the menus which we were initially a little disappointed because it didn’t represent what I had seen online. While inquiring about the menu Keisha came out from the back to greet us. She was a lovely lady and made us feel so much at home. Ordering from the menu would be ok but the real perk to this Cafe is that Keisha will “make you whatever you want”, and that she did.

She offered me brisket of the day on Texas toast. This sounded great but I am gluten free, so she made it into a delicious brisket salad.  Brian had the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich which is a special of theirs. He said it tasted like no other Philly Cheesesteak sandwich he had ever had, such great flavors and fresh vegetables. In fact, one of the things that makes Keisha’s food so good is that she buys fresh vegetables from the local farms. I cannot say enough about this place!  Definitely recommended.

But that’s not all, in fact this goes way beyond food. We both felt that there was something special about Keisha Thomas, from her restaurant tag line, “Good food for the greater good”, and in talking with her in general. It wasn’t until we started doing a little research for this blog that we confirmed our feelings. In 1996, when Keisha was 18 and a student at the University of Michigan, she performed a heroic act of humanity at a KKK rally where she likely saved a mans life in what many would consider a very unusual set of circumstances. Her actions received national attention where she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, highlighted globally in the press and since documented in various educational publications. A prominent photograph depicting the incident became a Life Magazine photo of the year.

Yes Keisha’s Cafe is a great place to eat, but Keisha Thomas is much more than a good chef, rather an individual that we should all be proud of. What she did and what she stands for breaks down the barriers if racism and puts things in the perspective of humanity where we are all equal. It was an honor meeting Keisha, truly one of those people that make us all better humans.