Opened as Mary’s Fried Chicken in 1977 by Charles Weirich Sr., this Tomball institution acquired its present moniker in 1994, named in honor of Mary and Charles’s only daughter, Melody. Mel’s family still runs the place today, serving chicken-fied steak in two sizes: a “small” 8-ounce portion, and a large 16-ounce version—both of which are served with cream gravy on the side, as it should be, in our opinion.