Central Texas Cafe serves over 500 free Thanksgiving Meals

CLIFTON, Texas (KWTX) - A small army of volunteers gathered Thursday morning at Corner Drug Cafe in downtown Clifton to continue a seven year tradition of serving free Thanksgiving meals.

The volunteers helped prepare, serve, package and run traditional Thanksgiving plates of turkey and sides from the store to the windows of cars.

Nena Rieser Moore, known as Chef Nena, helped organize the event and said it’s grown significantly in just a few years.

The group served 550 meals on Thursday.

(Nena Rieser Moore)

“The first few years we did this event as an eat in experience, but after COVID happened we moved strictly to curbside pick-up and our numbers increased significantly,” said Moore.

The meals included roasted turkey breasts and gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and a choice of pumpkin or pecan pie. One of the cafe’s suppliers, Ben E Keith, donated four cases of turkey breast.

The cafe’s owner says community members donate above and beyond to fulfill the orders every year.

“The outpouring of support has been wonderfully amazing,” Moore beamed.

(Nena Rieser Moore)

The Corner Drug Cafe started taking reservations in late October.

While the giveaway started years ago as a way to help families in need through a free meal it’s turned into an event that keeps giving year round.

“For example last year in 2022, we were able to cover food cost and donate $1,100 to the Clifton Food Bank and another $1,100 to North Bosque Helping Hands Food Pantry in Meridian and intend to do the same this year,” the owner said.

Corner Drug Cafe is located at 102 N. Avenue D in downtown Clifton.

It’s open Tuesday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. serving a full menu for breakfast and lunch including a daily special of the day.