Some of the best southern cooking I've ever had! Hoover's has a great atmosphere, and the prices are extremely affordable. Not to mention, they have a massive menu with some great drink options. The highlight of our meal was the candied yams. These candied yams are the best damn candied yams you will ever have in your life! read more

Growing up on soul food and home-cooked meals deep in the farms of NE Tennessee, comfort food not only brings me home but reminds me of my core values growing up: Food is something you devour. No pretense, large portions and everyone is there to get their eat on without apologies. Pile the shit on, let it run together and quit talking to me. The brown paper in lieu of a tablecloth means look out...here I go. The folks that work here couldn't be more laid back and accommodating, prices are pretty much like eating soul by the pound, and there is just enough parking to roll home, sit on your couch, loosen up your belt and exhale. Much appreciated. read more

Sadly, I do not get the hype. I have been here a couple of times in search of some great soul food. When my mother-in-law cooks fried chicken she "puts her foot in it." So, that's what I was expecting when we all came over to Hoover's. Boy howdy was I let down. My food hardly had any seasonings and the mango cobbler left much to be desired. Most likely, I won't be returning unless my family chooses to go there. The only thing to brag about is the cheese grits. I feel that I can make better food at home for a lot less money. read more

This is based on the Anderson Mill Location: OMG! Maybe we just order the perfect array of flavors each time we go there but this place is a gastronomic orgasm. The Elgin sausage is juicy, to the point of indecency! These guys don't skimp on the sides either, from the seasoned green beans to the potato salad and okra with tomatoes,[delicious] etc...each side dish is delectable and received it's very own love and attention and really adds to the main course,not just filler. So, pick your sides deliberately.The catfish is really tasty, warning: usually catfish in restaurants doesn't have any flavor and if you are used to that you may not like the very buttery, fishy-fish taste of Hoovers' catfish. I admit I never have had enough room to try a desert here but I have had their pancakes and YUH-UH-MEEEEEEEE, especially the sweet potato (order the sauce on the side) and the gingerbread. This is not the place to chat if you have never been because you just find yourself actually wanting to stuff your face. The waitress told us everything is made from scratch sans the French fries. Took my in laws, who were born and raised in New Orleans, and they asked if the place was out of New Orleans. Nope. Austin original. read more

Soul food, comfort food, southern cooking-- all of it fits. For such homemade fare, the prices can be steep. Gourmet it's not. However, I ordered the beef rib special that day and there were 8 large ribs. I ate two and my wife and I had two more meals from it at home. My wife had pork roast which was good. My wife said the banana cream pie was the worst she had ever eaten (1/2 inch layer of banana cream beginning to sour slatherd with 1 inch of whipped foam). And the Blackberry cobbler was a baked slab of dough with berries in it. One had the impression it had been frozen and warmed up. I would go back, even take guests, if they were interested in huge portions, and also to check and see if the first visit was an off day. (Research Blvd. location) read more

One of my favorite "indulgent" places in Austin. I love that it's just a hop away from the hustle and bustle of "town" without being a drive--not to say it's not always crowded, but parking and getting a table are usually pretty quick. This is down-home comfort food that will leave you with your pants unbuttoned but wondering when you can come back for more. It's pretty darn near impossible to try and eat healthy here so feel free to go all out and order yourself a chicken fried steak, some green or butter beans, and maybe some creamed jalapeno spinach or cheesy grits. It's delish. Their bbq chicken and Elgin sausage are not to be missed either...it's best to bring a group so you can try a bunch of stuff!! The fried okra aren't greasy at all and have a delightfully satisfying crunch. The waitress actually gave us a funny look when we tried to order the "squash medley"--she easily convinced us to get something more robust :p And desserts!!! They've got them, and they're great!!! The cobblers ala mode---holy crap. Just the way they should be. They've also got all kinds of cheesecake--I REALLY wanted to try the sweet potato praline cheesecake last time I was there but hubby wanted to split the buttermilk pie because he had never had it. It was great, but I'm not a fan of cold pies. So basically, get your butt in here. It may be a little bigger on your way out but you won't care. read more

My wife and baby and I came to this place January 2014, looking for something good to eat. I have to say I liked my charbroiled catfish, mashed potatoes, green beans, and mac and cheese. I should have ordered two catfish filets because one was not enough, and I really liked the green beans but didn't care much for the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes (and gravy). My wife had two really tasty chicken fried pork chops and she enjoyed her buttered cabbage... This was our first time eating here, this was the beginning of the week (Monday) and right after the holidays. I did expect better and unfortunately I was not that impressed with my meal. I loved my wife's chicken fried pork chops and the green beans and for that I have to say this place is at least a decent place to eat. read more

I'm from Georgia. I don't like to advertise it, but it's true. I've also lived in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, for a combined total of 16 years. Suffice to say that I know comfort food, y'all. That said, I want to like Hoover's so bad. It reminds me of a place my Mimi would take me when I visit her. But while Hoover's looks totally southern, it has a Texan twist. This works fabulously for people like my best friend and husband, but I can't hang. A tiny bit of cayenne pepper in the Mac and Cheese? WHY? It was perfect beforehand! The mashed potatoes are even a little too spicy for what I was expecting. I'm vegetarian, but apparently the chicken and dumplings are super good, according to my spouse. I've gone twice, and maybe I'm starting to get used to it. I will probably go again because one day I'm going to get the banana pudding cheesecake because it sounds incredible. read more

Dang, Hoover's. I overlooked you for so long. The first time I went, wayy back in '06, my friend was the food reviewer at the Daily Texan. I know, ya'll, what a great friend! I was a recovering vegetarian at the time, and while I did enjoy some wonderful fried okra on that visit, I don't think I was ready for the 'meatsperience.' It was another 4 years before I came back, and shame on me! I even lived less than a mile away for a good chunk of that time! But now that Hoover's and I are on better terms, I"ve been back several times. I have also since learned to embrace the meat - that's what she said - and hot DAMN is their Jamaican Jerk chicken delicious. It's all covered in herbs and spices and barbequed to perfection and omnomnommmmm! It is about $11, but comes with 2 'mates' and a bread basket. There's no way an average-sized person could eat all of this at a single sitting, so it's really two meals if you think about it. Other entrees have been equally good - I tried some of my boyfriend's meatloaf on one visit, and a burger on the other. Both were really, really good. The 'mates' are not as reliable as the mains, but I do like that they offer such a wide variety of options. The mac and cheese is pretty good but could use a bit more salt. The okra is still classic. The gumbo is fantastic. The grits and corn-on-the-cob I had on my most recent visit were also amazing. The beans are WAY too sweet. The french fries are great. Anyway, you see my point. I've had their margaritas (okay, but too sweet), and their sweet tea (also too sweet, but that was not entirely unexpected. I've never been capable of desserts. One day, I really want to try some cobbler. But I just don't see how I'll save room when the main courses are so plentiful and SO GOOD. I also want to come back for brunch and happy hour...eventually. Service is fine, nothing special but nothing negative. About what you'd expect for the price. Ambiance is minimal, but again about what would be expected of a soul food/barbeque joint. And I hope you don't mind butcher paper tablecloths. read more

I have liked Hoover's more in the past than I did on my last visit. So really I would give 3.5 stars, but alas, I must round, and I round to the most recent experience. I had the chicken and dumplings special, which had smoked barbecue chicken, which adds an unusual flavor to the dish. It was pretty good. The mac and cheese I had on the side was not what I remember having before - it was very bland and dry. Disappointing. I found the biscuits and cornbread dry and disappointing on this visit as well. The desserts were terrific, however. I'm not a big dessert person, so "not too sweet" is a compliment from me. I tried everyone else's dessert, which included coconut pie, chocolate pie, and mango cobbler. I LOVED the mango cobbler. The others were good and . . . not too sweet! My past experience tells me the mango margaritas are to die for, but too pricey for me to justify ever ordering. And as others have noted, the barbecue is sometimes terrific, and sometimes dry. It's hit-and-miss. But when it's on, it's great. This is a soul food place. Come ready to forget you ever even considered going on a diet. read more

This has been one of my favorites for years, but I don't get to eat here as often as I'd like. Well an opportunity came up yesterday at lunch and I grabbed it. Same experience as always: A menu full of things I want to try some day but know I never will because I love my regular favorite dishes too much not to get them every time. Then there's the chalk board of more choices beyond what's on the permanent menu. I always leave full and happy...a nap often follows. Thanks, Hoover's, for another great downhome meal of Southern favorites. read more

I was hopeful. I was hungry. I left wondering why all the good reviews ???? I ordered a chicken fried chicken breast. It arrived with 3 inches of thick, white gravy. If it was ever crisp I will never know. I take that back: the very tip was naked and tasted pretty damn good. The other 95% is a different story. Now you might say that I should have known it would come with gravy and perhaps that is true. But come on, the gravy shouldn't outweigh the star of the show: the fried chicken......then we get to the mac and cheese. The flavor was pretty good, but the pasta was waaaaaay over cooked. So overcooked that I was embarrassed for the macaroni. Poor guys. Maybe I should have had the bbq, it smelled good. I'm just not sure that I will be back. Damn, I had high hopes for this supposed southern food mecca. I left feeling a little gross. They get two stars for the smell of bbq.....and would get less if it was just about my lunch. read more

Horrible! My boyfriend, who claims to be a grill master, recommend this place. They didn't have pulled pork that day, so we decided on the special which was chopped beef. I also got a side of potato salad. Hoovers has seating outside, but we opted to take ours to go. The food smells really good, which was really disappointing! The meat contained more fat than beef and the BBQ sauce was completely sweet. I gave up on the meet after two bites, and just ate the bun. The potato salad was sub par. I can't cook, but I am sure I could have thrown together something with better taste. This was a no go. read more

I am working on this idea of the mouth as a deadly weapon. Let's face it, many Americans are killing themselves with their pie-holes. But if you are feeling dangerous, filler up at Hoover's. The main dishes are sometimes uneven, but there is one dish that has always rewards, and which must be consumed, sclerosis-be-damned: Jalapeno Creamed Spinach. read more

I have been to Hoover's before and come back a few times a year. This visit was for Pie. I had the Peach Cobbler and was not impressed. I have had frozen pies from the local supermarket that were better. Our waiter was a scary man with crazy eyes that made everyone at the table feel like he was fighting with his inner demons, but still listening to them with half an ear. I will return to Hoover's, but not for Pie, and not if the extra from Prison Break is working there at the time. read more

I've been here twice, never my choice, and both times I regretted it. In fact, the last time we went we talked about how it was a bad idea, something that was only more and more confirmed as the evening progressed. The service was terrible. It took forever for us to even be greeted by the waitress at our table, the drinks took far too long to arrive when we finally did order, and the refills were lacking. We finally ordered our meals, all the while I was trying to remember what was bad the last time to avoid it. Well it turns out pretty much everything was bad. Several people ordered Chicken Fried Steak, it was mostly breading, and bland. The salads were sad (I've had better at a drive thru), the macaroni and cheese was watery, the mashed potatoes were bland. Everything was SO bland. it was as if they had run out of every spice (and apparently salt) in the store. I am a HUGE fan of comfort food, so it's really disappointing, because everything here should be good. It's also in my neighborhood, so I was really hoping I could love them. We were ignored, for a good portion of the visit, until it was time to drop that check, man was she on top of it then. For the amount we spent ($200 for 8 people and only 2 beers ordered), I would have expected a MUCH higher quality food and decent service. Want really amazing chicken fried steak? Go to Moonshine. For about the same price you will get great service, and a far superior meal. Other things we tried: Pork Ribs: Dry. Jamaican Jerk Ribs: Dry. Fried Catfish: Not bad, but nothing special. French Fries: Not bad, hard to screw up fries. Fried Okra: Good, but would have been better had they been seasoned. Jalapeno Creamed Spinach: Bland. How is that even possible considering the ingredients. We also ordered cobbler, but I'm not a cobbler fan, so I can't judge. They looked about on par with the rest of the meal. No one in my party seemed to be impressed. read more

A mac & cheese tour de Austin is what brought me to Hoovers. "Dieeeeeemmmmm" is what I say to this mac & cheese! It was incredible. I've never tried such creamy and flavorful mac & cheese. It is an excellent side, probably would be too rich as an entire meal. We also tried mac & cheese with green chile as well as a mac & cheese with sausage. Although these tasted great, they come nowhere near the original. The original is freaking bomb.com The ambiance was great. Staff was incredible with all sorts of personality. Next time I'm looking for some old fashioned southern comfort food, I know where I'll be heading. read more

After many, many trips to Hoover's over the years, I stopped going recently: my new beau was not down with the suggestion of eating there, even though it's near his house. So this evening, I suggested it again, and I asked why he had such a beef with Hoover's, to which he replied, "Well, the last time I was there, I was vegan, so there wasn't much I could order." That said, this is NOT a place to bring your vegan girlfriend, or anyone who is dieting or has food concerns. Hoover's celebrates food, especially food cooked in butter. This is not a place for restrictions. It's no wonder my dad loves it too, since he's a man who sings the Thanksgiving praises of "gravy as a beverage." My favorite go-to is the four-veggie plate. I love a restaurant that offers more than one veggie with an entree, and veggies of many different colors overall. (Did I also mention they are cooked in butter?) I'm also a fan of the chicken fried chicken and jerk chicken. I like the addition of the new entree sizes: the smaller one means I get to choose THREE veggies! The hot wings are amazing as well. If you can manage to leave room for dessert, you won't be disappointed. Pro tip: if you're worried you won't have room for pie, order the candied yams as a side and save them for last. read more

I ordered a fried porkchop, macaroni & cheese, mustard greens and a side salad to go. The service was prompt and the waitress was nice. The place looked very clean. The food was just okay. The fried porkchop was big but the seasoning seemed to only be in the breading and not on the porkchop itself. The macaroni was firm and the cheese was not creamy. The mustard greens had sugar in them - in fact, way too much sugar and they were not seasoned with meat or vinegar like I would have expected. Overall, I was not impressed. read more

With all due respect to my Fellow Yelpers, come on, Hoover's ROCKS! Of course everything's too buttery! Of course there's too much mayo! Of course everything's fattening and smothered with gravy! THAT'S WHY PEOPLE GO THERE! You can get a killer breakfast there on weekends, complete with bloody mary's. You can stuff your face with good comfort food and amazing sides: jalapeno spinach, butter beans, mustard greens, thick mashed potatoes and the best darn mac'n'cheese in the world. The chicken fried steak is heart-stoppingly rich and delicious. The Elgin sausage is delectable. And my god, the coconut cream pie will put you in a heavenly sugar coma. We ate Thanksgiving dinner there, and I tell you what, it's going to be a tradition in our family from now on. It was $15 for turkey and all the fixings, and no dishes to clean up! If you want a nice lite lunch or a healthy dinner salad, go somewhere else. Hoover's is for people who want to CHOW DOWN! read more

If your goal is to stay sober, eat some boring food and go away then this is the perfect place for you. Felt like I was eating at a friends house whose hosts were in a heated game of silence. Food needed salt, which I can't understand in a "comfort food" place. Have you ever tried styrofoam sausage. I hadn't either. Now you know where to get it. read more

I found this place on Yelp and it had a four-and-a-half star rating. The quesadillas lived up to that rating. The country fried steak was the toughest steak I've ever had. My wife's chicken fried steak was tough to. Is that how it's supposed to be? It's not the way I remember Grandma making it. The french fries were very good. The fried okra was not at all good either. My wife said the bathrooms were filthy. I'm not sure that I would believe the Yelp ratings for this one read more

Hoover's catered our wedding and did an AMAZING job. They were incredibly easy to work with from beginning to end ( a rarity in the wedding industry) and the food was delicious. Guests were raving about how great the food was! The staff at the wedding were great and Mr. Hoover, himself, even came! (We had no idea he was there until after the wedding and we saw the pictures!) If you're looking for down-home cooking for your wedding or big event, I highly recommend Hoover's. The people are great, the food is delish and the price was oh so reasonable. read more

Fried chicken is a very important part of my life, and therefore Hoover's is too. Let's review: 1. Locally owned/sourced 2. Comfort food 3. Huge portions. You'll need a to-go box. Basically the best. read more

Tried the half BBQ chicken with cowboy beans and potato salad. The chicken was very good. It was flavorful and moist. I really enjoyed it. The beans were excellent. Seasoned well with meat. Very tasty. The potato salad was moist, slightly creamy with ample pieces of potato. However I felt it lacked enough flavor...bland. The sides were large servings. Plenty of food for 11.99. My service was very good. To summarize: chicken was a 4; beans 4.5 and potato salad a 3. I would eat here again. Good place to eat. read more

Home cooking at it's best. Most things here are excellent, but my personal favorite is simply ordering a plate of 3 or 4 side dishes. Tonight I ate a plate of mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, and black eyed peas and it was gooooooood. I wish that it was just a tad bit cheaper (mainly because I am poor), but I would not say that it is over priced by any means. It does tend to get a bit crowded here if you come during peak hours so be prepared to wait for a little while (15-30 minutes on average). If you are feeling a little homesick for grandma's cooking, give yourself over to the comfort food of Hoover's. read more

I wish weighing 500 lbs. was in style. Because then I could eat here every day. This runs a close second to my grandmother's cooking, and I do not just throw those sort of heavy-weight compliments around lightly. Ha. Heavy-weight! If you find yourself depressed and in need of some comfort food to use as medication, I suggest you do your dirty work here. Your fitness trainer will pop the last vein in his neck, but it'll be totally worth it. read more

I am a fried chicken lover so when a good friend and UT alum recommended Hoover's, I was on it! Oh man, they definitely know how to do fried chicken right. I haven't tried anything else on their menu, and I don't really ever plan on it. This place is right near campus and way better than other close options (KFC, Popeyes) so I will definitely be coming here again when the craving hits. read more

The unfortunate name conjures an image of a swollen me, devouring every southern-fried thing in sight while making vacuum noises. Which is why we waited until a few weeks ago to explore the menu at this traditional southern restaurant within walking distance of my apartment. The biscuits and gravy will make you ashamed that you judged southern cooking based on something you ate somewhere else, because this is motherfucking southern *cuisine*, people. The gravy was smooth and the biscuits were fluffy and dear lord I had no idea that breakfast sausage was capable of creating such flavor depth. The bf ordered shrimp grits, and between mouthfuls we agreed that we developed a new respect for the south. We have not been back, but only because we fear for our arteries. If it were up to me, reader, I would be eating their pecan pie for lunch everyday. This is where you want to bring out-of-towners who want a real southern meal. One final note--I've read of some people being less than pleased with the grits, and my grits experience is pretty minimal. So maybe the grits will make you sad, I don't know, I'm not originally from here. read more

Food was great! If our server was mentally in the building he could have sold me 2 more beers and increased the ticket total and increased the tip amount. I tried the side dish 'Cowboy beans " I love them BBQ beef mixed with pinto beans. Good Stuff! read more

Lunch was great! We ordered fried catfish po-boy with fries, chicken and dumplings with mac and cheese and chips, queso and salsa all of it was great. For dessert we got banana pudding and we were not fans of it. Our service was good and the price was about $10 per plate and $9 for queso and salsa. The serving side was huge too! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Wednesday special chicken and dumplings with a side of mac and cheese! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Good lo-fi dinner place. The food is a good mix of fatty fried foods, comfort foods, and leaner meals if you so desire (eg the jerk chicken). The dessert selection is impressive. No problems with the service. The ambiance isn't great, but it's not awful. The only major issue is that it is FRIGID. If you're at all prone to getting cold, wear long pants and a sweater. It feels like it's below 60 degrees in there for some reason. read more

So...I come here for lunch all the time. The food at lunch is consistently delicious. The chicken, ribs, and jalapeño creamed spinach are wonderful. I love the sweet potato rolls, which come free with your meal. Their dessert selection is wide and fantastic. They make a mean Arnold Palmer, served in a pitcher. The only reason I haven't given five stars is that the couple times I have been to Hoovers for dinner, the food was not as good. I can not understand how such a fantasic lunch spot can not do a good dinner? The strangest thing is that their menu doesn't change, so it's either the kitchen staff is different, or the fact that they're rushed, I don't know. Either way, I would skip dinner there but go for lunch anytime. read more

Best soul food in Austin. I had the chicken breast, fried pork chop, mustard greens, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and yams. The biscuit is sweet, not too sweet. The cornbread is nice and filling. I will definitely be returning to the area. The parking was sufficient. read more

Terrible! Hoovers used to be a delicious treat. We went for breakfast of biscuits and gravy and breakfast muffaletta, I never leave food but It was all inedible. Did you know food can taste like sadness? read more

Great soul food. It really hits the spot, if you're going for comfort food. The meatloaf, jerk chicken, and catfish are incredible! Mac & Cheese is basic, nothing special so, a little disappointing as that is a classic soul food comfort side. Some of the best sides the candied yams, fried okra, carrots, green beans, & black eyed peas. Definitely don't pass this joint up, if your looking for good soulful food!!! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Daily special's menu! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

I had the best fried catfish I have ever put in my mouth at Hoover's today. And people, I'm from deep, dark northeast Texas, so I've had a LOT of catfish in my day. The batter was absolute perfection--golden and not greasy, with a slightly spicy tinge to it. The fish itself was moist and flaky and amazingly tasty. Seriously. Kickass. Catfish. And since the last time I went to Hoover's, they've added this Meat and 2 or Meat and 3 menu, which is AWESOME. If you don't really want the insanely huge portions you get when you order off the normal menu, you can get a meat and 2 or 3 sides with reduced sized portions for great prices. Today I had the fried catfish, black eyed peas, mustard greens, and mac and cheese for $7.99. If I ate at Hoover's as often as I would like to, I'd get so huge, I'd lose the ability to walk on my own and would have to resort to a Rascal. Seriously. It's just that good. read more

I love Hoover's! They have a new(ish) happy hour menu. Love the Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas, especially @ half price during happy hour, paired with a frozen margarita. When we go for dinner, my favorite meal is Chicken Fried Steak with garlic cheese grits & mashed potatoes&gravy, followed by the buttermilk pie. My preference is to go for happy hour. Kenny is a great bartender. My feelings about the hostess & waitstaff is quite as high, there are a couple of good waiters that I've had though. When I'm employed, Hoover's happy hour is usually a weekly ritual as its right by my friends house (no need to drive after those delicious & strong margaritas) and not far from my apartment. read more

I met my friend here for lunch and the parking is horrible and they were soooo busy. Luckily I snagged a parking spot in front because someone was pulling out. We sat down in a booth and were quickly greeted by our server who offered us a glass of tea. I have to say their unsweetened iced tea is freshly brewed and refreshing (I know I am not southern because I don't like sweet tea). I skimmed over the menu and the daily specials board and they have a ton of options but, be prepared to make a quick decision because they want you to order asap. I decided on the Hoover's Hot Sausage plate which is served with 3 sides, pickles, onions, hot bread basket and BBQ Sauce for $8.99. For my house mates I chose the side salad with blue cheese, mac and cheese and the creamed spinach. The sausage wasn't really spicy and was overdone, dry and was hard to even cut. The BBQ sauce was just ok. The pickles and onions were good in my book! The onion was eye tearing so it was freshly cut. The salad was good and the blue cheese was homemade based on taste. The mac and cheese was very Krafty as in Krafty with a K because it tasted like Kraft mac and cheese except the cheese was watery and the noodles were way over done. The creamed spinach was not cream based and the spinach was well over done also. It also had a vinegary bite to it so, I am not sure if it was old or they actually added vinegar to it. The hot bread basket was generic to me but, was ok. I was very underwhelmed with my whole experience after having heard such huge hype about this place. Maybe I was there on an off day and will try it again someday if I have a chance. read more

This place gets a lot of hype, but if I'm going to pay for a simple homestyle meal I want it to blow my tastebuds, and this place didn't. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it was just too... simple. I ordered chicken-fryed chicken with corn and buttered cabbage as sides, but my expectations were deflated. I guess was a little confused because I was expecting regular fryed chicken, not chicken flattened and fryed like chicken-fryed steak. Make sense? Also, my corn was mushy and the cabbage was bland. Hmph. Well, there is a pretty cool history behind this place. Somebody told me that their father in law was an under the table partner of Hoover's because he owed Hoover tons of money. According to her story, Hoover struck oil and gave this dude $200,000, but dude lost the money and years later decided to make it up to him by helping get this restaurant started. Cool. Maybe they should invest on an interior decorator and a new chef. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas