It's like going home! Comfort food. Not many places like Hoovers anymore. Wish we didn't live so far away. Fried chicken with dressing almost made me cry. Not your fast food fried chicken! It so much better! read more

I love fried chicken so that's what I got. It was delicious! I got a 2 pc. Should have gotten 3 pc. It was crispy and juicy. Most importantly it was flavorful and not real salty. Everybody flavors with salt now, but they didn't. My potato salad was Perfect with the right amount of acid-wonderful. Portions were very large. You probably won't eat it all. I had iced tea-sweetened. It wasn't too sweet or under sweetened. Surprisingly delicious. Definitely southern hospitality. The waitress was top notch. Handling a room by herself. (We were a group of 17+) Nothing threw her off. Everybody on staff seemed like they enjoyed working there. Comfortable, friendly, accommodating, and good food! Only sorry I didn't get a platter to go! read more

I hate to write this review buuuuuuuuut!!!!!! I need to have a real heart to heart with whomever is in charge of this restaurant.. My party spent almost $100 dollars, We only ate maybe $20 dollars worth of food the appetizers. Everything is bland, when I say everything I mean EVERYTHING! I get not wanting to have salty food.. buuuuuuuuuuut salt isnt the only season that can be used. I ordered the pork chop, collard greens, yams, butter cabbage, and Mac n cheese. the crust was detached from the pork chop, the butter cabbage tasted just like water and cabbage. A little garlic would've went a long way. Mac n cheese tasted like noodles and cheese. The cowboy beans were hard, undercooked. Unsatisfactory to say the least. Soaking the beans don't take much, a taste test or just the squeeze of a bean would've showed the hardness. No attention to detail at all. If I owned this restaurant I'd be having a talk with my chefs ASAP! I'm sad writing this review and still hungry. This was my first time in Austin, this was also my first attempt at trying a restaurant. The food looks way better than it taste, after reading other reviews I'm not sure how much will change. This restaurant could be so much better, someone must take ownership and accountability for these fixable flaws. I wonder how often the owner randomly taste the food. I would highly suggest the owner start tasting this food randomly. read more

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Service and the food was amazing, the food was really home made like mom cooked. No waiting time

The food was ok. Also, the services was just ok. The restaurant was in a good neighborhood. read more

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I was excited to find a hole in the wall type of place but everything we tried was horrible and/or unseasoned. I ordered the chicken fried chicken, Mac and cheese, and jalapeño creamed spinach. The breading and gravy were seasoned but the chicken breast was BLAND! The Mac and cheese looked like it was made with velveeta but still lacked flavor and seasoning. And the spinach....NO. Just no. Definitely was NOT fresh spinach. At all. My wife got the catfish, collards and potato salad. Nothing was seasoned once again. The collard greens were very vinegary and had an odd sweetness to it. we sent all of the food back and we were offered other options but we declined. We asked to just get the ticket for our drinks and our server refused to engage with us. He just walked by and said have a good day. That part really sucked for the server because we were still gonna pay for our drinks and tip him because it's not his fault that the food is bad. read more

First time here and food was amazing! Just recently moved to this side of town and when I saw southern food, I knew this place was going to be delish! I ordered the fried catfish plate. Catfish had a nice crunch and not overly breaded. Green beans are my favorite because it was cooked with some sort of pork, can never go wrong with Mac-n-cheese, and who doesn't love mashed potatoes! The rest of my party got the smothered pork chop special and a Greek Salad. Did not sample either because of the size of my plate. Took home dessert and have been eating on the sweet potato praline cheesecake for 2 days now. I can't wait to go back and eat my way through the rest of their menu. Covid- They were open for Togo but we dined in. They did have certain tables open to sit at, all staff had masks on, and paperless menus read more

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Order online for ease! Although the day I ordered online, it looked like my order went thru but it turned out that they weren't receiving any orders all day. The system crapped out on them. I felt terribly for them! Everybody who came in to pickup their order and to reorder in person but they all were patient and kind. I loved the BBQ chicken plate with green beans, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. The chicken was so so good! Hubs got the spinach salad with chicken and he really enjoyed it too. Oh, they've got frozen margs! Be sure to get one to wash down the goodies! I'll be heading back for more of their specialities soon! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Bbq Chicken plate - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

We stopped here for a Sunday dinner based off of a friend's recommendation. We did have to wait about 15 minutes for a table. The only thing I can say about this food is that it doesn't taste as good as it looks. The only dish I did enjoy was the creamed spinach. I wouldn't compare it to southern cooking at all. There was not a lot of flavor in the meat or breading. The slaw was way too vinegary and the Mac and cheese seemed like it was Velveeta Mac and Cheese. Such a disappointment. I had high hopes. I'd pass if I were you. read more

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It pains me to write that this restaurant is a shadow of its former self. The jerk chicken was disappointing as it barely had any seasoning and the sides weren't fresh. Additionally, the pork chop and mashed potatoes were inedible and bordered on gross. The waitstaff was so attentive and polite that I could not bring myself to complain but I certainly will not return to what I had considered an iconic part of the Austin culinary scene. read more

I can't believe that I received such a disappointing meal. Although the chicken was edible, the mashed potatoes were already mixed with the gravy which was soupy and gross, and the mac and cheese was sludgy and thick. Needless to say, I'll choose to eat elsewhere. read more

I'm sorry to give a bad review because I know this is an Austin staple. It's been about 15 years since I last went to Hoover's. I ordered the red white and blue burger with mac n cheese as the side. Burger was nice and smokey but so dry. The mac n cheese sauce was curdled and bland. Bf got the turkey sandwich and fries. He said they were alright. I picked up the order within their time frame estimate, so I can't blame it on a food service delivery taking to long to pick it up. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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What used to be incredibly soulful and delicious has turned into to an abysmal mess. First red flag was the fact that is was no longer bustling. I had the fried pork chop which used to be hot and juicy was tepid and dry scant of flavor. The side of fries were just meh. Green beans, unremarkable. I was completely disappointed and embarrassed by over selling it to a friend from out of town. The cobbler was a sad depiction of a frozen pie. The trip to the men's room rivaled the worst truck stop. This place is to be avoided, I'm so sorry to say. read more

Very friendly. Quick service. Food was very tasty. Was all I'd heard it would be. Good margaritas. Will visit again.

I was Extremely dissatisfied. $60 for two people and this is the quality of food I was served. Very disappointed. To top it off they automatically add a 20% surcharge to your ticket. I get why you order and pay as soon as you walk in because otherwise people would send their food back and leave. EWWWWWW TOMATOES TOMATOES TOMATOES read more

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One of our regulars and it's as good as it's always been. Food and service are top of the line. Whether you're up for something light or just the opposite, you'll find it here. You know when you're in the hands of masters. read more

Really good southern cooking. Food was fresh. I had the meatloaf and my grandson the fried catfish. Sides were excellent. People were very friendly and warm. read more

Arrived for lunch as they opened at 11. Ordered and served pretty quickly. Fried Chicken served lukewarm and tasted as if it was cooked a day or two ago and reheated...dry and not fresh. Candied Yams and Chocolate Pie were good. Mexican rice was dry and bland. Overpriced for below average "southern" food. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Day old fried chicken, dry Mexican rice, Candied Yams - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

I haven't been here in a couple years.. so I decided to come by and give it a try.. First off the restaurant had a weird smell as if they were mopping with a dirty mop or water. It was so bad my girlfriend said she could taste it. Also the floor was still sticky as we walked. I ordered the chicken fried chicken, When I received my food the portions were very small. I asked the server what happened the chicken used to be bigger. He said before they used to smash it before and now it's thicker (it wasn't thick at all). The mash potatoes were similar to a box kind and they were cold. The food had no flavor or seasoning. I also noticed they only had two sides and asked what happened they used to have three sides before. The guy at the register said it changed 3 months ago and that the cost of food has gone up. After paying 50$ for two meals we were still hungry. One review on here mentioned how Lubys would be better and I think I'd have to agree. It's really sad to see the quality and potion size go down. After this experience I will never come back. read more

I visited on a Thursday evening on a recent trip to Austin and the hostess indicated there were several parties waiting for tables in front of me (almost as if to persuade people from waiting to eat here). Just coming alone, you still have to wait. This is namely because they are still seating only about 1/4 of the available tables even though the governor opened the state back up to 100% capacity. I didn't see many employees, so maybe its also a staffing issue. The entry room is a greeting area with to-go food, desserts, and a small gift shop with local goods. There is a middle room where the official hostess stand is located, then there is the main dining room. I ordered the cfs with mac n cheese, mashed potatoes and cowboy beans. I also added a side of 2 sausage links. And a frozen margarita. The meal comes with a bread basket consisting of one roll and cornbread. These are miniature sized. My favorite items were the sausage and cowboy beans. The cfs had a lot of breading. And the breading was super thick. Too much for me. Nothing special about the mac n cheese or potatoes. Roll was ok, cornbread was standard. Also ordered banana pudding to go and ended up eating it for breakfast the next morning. This was also very good with thick homemade pudding. Visiting here was an interesting experience and i almost felt like i was in a different country. Maybe one of the most ironic things about coming here is that they mention they were one of the first places in Austin to promote integration back in the 1930s or whatever, but the 3 tables of African Americans (groups came in at separate times and didn't know each other) were all seated together, in the rear of the main dining room away from the white patrons. Maybe it was just coincidence? Overall though, a nice experience with home cooking near downtown Austin what more can you ask for? read more

Ok I will def have to give this place a second try. We stopped by but dining was closed due to short staffing. While we looked at the menu, at least 4-5 parties walked in so I'm sure I'm missing something? But they just walked out when there was no dining in - I don't get that - why wouldn't you still get the food? I got all sides and I was 99% sure I ordered green beans but guess they misheard me. My sides were ok. I had a Mac n cheese craving so that's why we stopped but it was kind of underwhelm. BUT my husband's chicken fried steak was pretty good. We will need to go back to check it out again. Maybe I'll be in more of a meat mood and try something besides sides lol read more

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Do not eat here. The food has gone way down hill. The food tastes off and reheated. Very disappointing

We almost didn't come because of the reviews but SO glad we did. First off, they had gospel music playing lightly in the background. Yes it was a Sunday but I walked in and was instantly pleased. No wait, seated promptly. ( all parties have to be present to be seated) Drink orders taking within a few minutes. Wait or introduced himself and gave us recommendations for food as we looked over the menu. It was a group 6 and we ordered: Meat Chicken fried steak Fried fish Jerk chicken Fried chicken Sides Mac and cheese Yams- delicious Fried okra Black eyed peas Mustard greens- best greens I've ever had Broccoli It would take forever to go down the list so I'll just say what we would pass on, or what we didn't like. Mac and cheese, skip! THATS IT. Everything was either good or great. I will say the chicken fried steak there was more breading then there was steak but as a whole I would come back and order again. Everything had flavor and had no complaints for the party. Their homemade hot sauce is PERFECT for their chicken. Portions are a nice size. No one was hungry when we left and one person ordered a peach cobbler to go and said it was more like a peach pie. She didn't say she didn't like it so I'll say order if you like. All I can say is the experience we had last Sunday. I'm not knocking anyone else's review or saying mine is THE truth. It is MY TRUTH. That's it. read more

I've been enjoying this restaurant for a long time. Chicken fried steak, +5 all the desserts +5. It's just a great place to eat.

Had a wonderful meal - just like 'Sunday Dinner at Grandmas' We had the Chicken Fried Steak and Chicken Fried Pork Chop. Got to choose 3 sides each. The Creamed Spinach, Tomato/Cucumber Salad, and Butter beans were delicious. Of course we had to get Chocolate Cream pie and Bread pudding to take home. So few 'old time cafes' serving 'good food at sensible prices' left in Austin area. Of course our favorite is still the TEXAN CAFE & Pie Shop in Hutto read more

Hoover's Cooking - Menu board list is ben more side choices and pies, cobblers, and cheesecakes - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Hello fellow neighbor! I have lived right next to you (on Lafayette) for the past twenty years. Your website is an abomination. We have tried to order from it three times. It just straight up doesn't work. I don't know how much you paid for that website to be created, but you got put through the ringer. Not your fault. But is IS you fault for not having a working website. Furthermore, it's 2023. Have you heard of Uber Eats or DoorDash? Now to add insult to injury... the telephone ordering experience was not good. Hard to hear, had to repeat self, etc. Also the chicken fried steak used to be awesome, now it's pretty meh. The fried pork cutlet is still good though. read more

I went for the dessert and chose the pudding and sweet potato pie. The pudding was unfortunately disappointing, it didn't have strong flavor of or vanilla or anything really. It was cold and had cookies but not flavorful enough to order again. The sweet potato pie was a winner. Well seasoned, crust was flaky and tasty. Would definitely order that again. read more

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Buyers remorse! We paid nearly $76.00 with tax for a fried turkey for our Thanksgiving meal this week. A turkey advertised as 14-16lbs on the Hoovers website. My wife picked it up today and I just went in the fridge to make room and we'll, let's just say very little fridge space was needed. This turkey weighed in at 6.5lbs! It might even be a damn chicken it so small! I've been trying to get through on the phone and it keeps going to voice-mail which is "full" and can't accept any more messages. Guess, I'm not the only one complaining! What a joke! You try and support local business and you get gouged! read more

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

Place is very clean, food is delicious! I ordered the chicken fried steak platter. I loved the texture of the chicken fried steak. Very flavorful and tender. The batter was perfectly seasoned. I got the sides of mac and cheese, cowboy beans and mashed potatoes. The potatoes needed more seasoning. Presentation was excellent. They usually give out to go plastic cutlery in Covid era but we were given individually hand packed napkins and real utensils. So awesome. read more

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

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Always enjoy a trip to Hoover's. Had the fried pork chop with black-eyed peas and collards this time around. Everything tasted great. Service was awesome (as usual), and the price is always right. From experience, the chicken fried steak is also good as is the jerk chicken and Hoover's sausage. Insider tip: just order a bunch of sides - they are THAT good. read more

Haven't been in a long while but this is the place we've come to satisfy our southern comfort food cravings. I'm going in on the meatloaf, cowboy beans (beans with a little brisket in them) and candied yams and my love is having the pork chop, mashed potatoes and buttered carrots. OH MAN DID THIS NOT DISAPPOINT!! Everything was good and arrived hot. The meatloaf was flavorful and although I'm not huge on the large chunks of tomatoes it complimented the meat really well and I ended up eating it all up . I will say there was one small portion of the loaf that was charred a bit and hard but it was just a small bite size portion of the entire loaf. Cowboys beans were a little surprise simple because they were baked beans not pinto beans but the brisket in them plus baked beans satisfied my salty/sweet liking and the fact that I have it a drizzle of Tabasco turned them up a bit. But... the YAMS!!! Oh the Yams!! Not drenched but just enough sweet to combine with the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar was oh so ridiculously good!!! . My wife really liked her Fried Pork Chops and she orders them EVERYWHERE. So that's saying something . Her carrots were meh... could have had a bit more seasoning but if that's what you like they are right up your alley. Didn't try the mashed-tators but they looks delish. All in all this is why we come here to get our south on!! Come getcha some and they serve cocktails and drinks if you'd like. read more

We waited in line for an hour for our Thanksgiving meals and it was totally worth it! Clearly this place is popular, look at that line. The employees were friendly, calm and helpful through the entire experience. I love that this is a local restaurant and happy to see its thriving during COVID. Food was great and had a great vegetarian option. We will be back. read more

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

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The meal was very good. The BBQ ribs were smoked just right, the potato salad was missing onions, the carrots were just boiled and no cinnamon and sugar, so I sent them back for Mustard Greens. The corn bread was tough vs. light and fluffy, the sweet potatoes had just the right amount of sugar! My daughter's fried pork chop was excellent, just needed some gravy, so she asked and was given some cream gravy that was excellent. The restaurant catered to social distancing, real silverware in a sterilized bag and cloth napkins were used vs. plastic ware and paper napkins. Overall, the meal was great. RECOMMENDATION: I recommend this restaurant due to excellent meals, social distancing, nice cloth napkins and sterilized silverware in a bag! read more

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Basic blend and not much tasty, they had one job in one job only which is the easiest thing to not mess up Fried Chicken! What soul food spot can't cook fried chicken should not even consider them selves soulfood ! read more

This place has been a bit of an Austin institution and it never disappoints me for mmmm when I'm craving some stick to your bones Southern comfort food. If you're in a diet - just don't bother. I don't even know where to start with this review. I mean we could hit up some starters (wings, quest that spinach artichoke dip). But you don't want to fill up too fast. I mean entrees - fried chicken(!), chicken fried steak, southern friend pork chop! The BBQ ain't bad either - Jamaican pork ribs. And I have a soft spot for the sides - beans, jalapeño creamed spinach, fried okra (hell yeah), yams and man the okra and tomatoes. If your want to go strictly veggie - a good plate of these would satisfy. But save some room for dessert! Cobbler and pies!!! read more

This review is a little late, but we ate here for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic. We were brand new in town and forgot to try to make a reservation anywhere. Through some searching, we saw suggestions to try Hoover's so we headed over. They were BUSY, but there was parking down the street and the wait went faster than we expected. They also brought out our food quickly and were great on refills. Everything that came with the thanksgiving meal was delicious and it was a lot of food. It really gave me the home-made feel that we wanted. Would definitely recommend anytime you want a home-made meal but don't want to make it! read more

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

Ok, overpriced food. I went in planning on getting the "Veggie Plate", a combo of any four sides. I knew I wanted macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. To be a little healthier I got corn, and as a sort of dessert I got candied yams. You'd expect a southern restaurant to have better macaroni and cheese. I suppose they've been around so long and people keep ordering it that they don't have any incentive to improve their recipe. It was extremely over-cooked and mushy. The best side dish was the thing that took the least effort - the corn on the cob. The mashed potatoes and yams were average. I wasn't exactly hungry after eating some of each thing but I was nowhere near satisfied so I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich off of the kids' menu. Fortunately they were hardly phased by the request. They do an upcharge for adults to get a kids' entree but since this was my second entree they waived that. That sandwich was the best part of the meal! If you've ever read my other reviews, you'll know I just can't get enough grilled cheese sandwiches! This one was on Texas toast, just one degree toastier than I might have done, and I'll say something I cannot believe I'm saying - it almost had too much cheese! I'd come back here for the grilled cheese sandwich again if it didn't have an upcharge. They also serve cornbread with the meal, which was another recipe they've got down pat. Fortunately most of these sides save well as leftovers, so I'll get one and a half meals out of this meal, but they won't be the kinds of leftovers that will make me excited for lunch. Service was top-notch. Everyone was friendly and attentive, but service everywhere has improved since restaurants have been fighting to stay open during the pandemic. Hoover's is ok, but I'm surprised they're still in business in a city where the restaurant business pushes most places to be more than ok. read more

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I recently had the chicken salad sandwich. It was delicious. Too big to eat as a sandwich for me, but I ate what I could and took the rest home to enjoy later. As always the atmosphere and service were wonderful. Always a pleasure. read more

Good food in the down home southern style. A really great grilled catfish with Cajun seasoning was a lighter option. Spinach, squash, and peas stood out in their simple but perfect cooking. The right amount of seasoning and ideal texture would even make a picky Goldilocks happy. Surroundings are pleasant and the staff friendly in a way you feel like you're visiting family. I'll be back to try the gravy! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Catfish and fixings - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Yumm! Southern home cooking we were deeply craving. The iced tea was fresh, the service was great, and the chicken fried steak and gravy were heavenly. Only complaint was it was very hot. Maybe no ac but great little date night at a casual down home feeling diner read more