One of our consultants took a few of us in the office out for lunch. I suggested Hoover's, thinking that it was the nearest place that would appeal to everyone in the group. I remember going there a couple of times, before the east side became cool, and enjoying a certain rawness to the place. Since, then, I think they've given the place a yuppie makeover with track lighting, black tablecloths, and a chic-looking bar. To preserve the days of yore, though, they cover the tablecloths with brown paper (which defeats the purpose of the black tablecloths). The catfish was nice and light - neither the fish itself, or the batter, were greasy. The gravy on the mashed potatoes was too buttery. I liked the concept of their "mardi gras" cole slaw with red and green bell peppers, but it had too much mayo. The wait was about 5 minutes at about 12:30 on a Friday - not bad. The portions were extremely generous, though, and I was full halfway through. (Leftover!) p.s. I started to wonder if Hoover's caters to pregnant women's cravings - I saw four pregnant women during the hour that I was there! . read more

There are quite a few restaurants that have great food, but what makes this place 5 stars in my book is that their service has always been great too. My fav dishes to order: Muffaleta: The bread is perfectly crisp, moist, and warm all in one bite. I rarely order sandwiches when I go anywhere, but this is one of the best. The meat ratio is good, not anything crazy like Katz's Deli or any other NY deli where there's six inches of meat piled high. They use the perfect amount of olives - wasn't too tangy. Boudin: They grill the links, and again, it's the best. It's not always available, so when it's on their menu board, I always order it. Mac & Cheese: good ole fashion mac & cheese - nothing crazy different, but I like it Cream of Spinach: exactly what it is, and it has to be totally fattening for it to taste that good! If you come for lunch, be sure to get there early. read more

Wow. I have always loved Hoover's, but between the last time I was here and now... the food is just stellar. I just had the best yams I've ever tasted. And the creamed jalapeño spinach was divine. Everything was so fresh and just awesome. The chicken fried steak was exactly as I remember it-the best in town. Yum. read more

Let me first say the food was pretty good in this place and we were seated fairly quickly. The fried chicken had a good crunch and the gravy was perfect. I'm annoyed and the reason this place only gets 2 stars is because our server was awful. Like beyond awful. She didn't want to write anyone's order down, she brought us all the wrong drinks (aka not what we even asked for) then our food arrived and 2/3 people got the wrong meals and sides. So sure I was kind of disappointed at that point but it gets worse. So after waiting to have our order corrected to the right food, she never came back to our table. Like a good magician she was gone. So she finally appears once the food is gone and asks if we want dessert? We say no just the check please. And thus began the 1.5 hour long process of closing out our tab. She showed up 30 minutes later and said so did you decide if you want dessert? We insisted once again no we just want our tab to go. So 20 minutes till by and we finally get our tab and we made the mistake of asking her to split it. Well she charged each of our cards 3 times for different amounts while she tried to figure out a register. So my bank throws my card into fraud mode. We ask for a manager and he comes by and destroys the receipt which is not legal. He disappears with our money again. Comes back with new receipts promising all is good in the land of banking and says I fixed it. Well sure enough I called my bank and the original charges were dropped thank god, but instead of splitting the tab he charged each person at the table the full amount for the meal. I would say come here for the food not for the service. read more

I enjoyed the Southern food here, but being from Atlanta, I have to admit that I've had better in my hometown. But, Hoover's did a pretty good job of mixing it up and having a diverse menu. I had fried chicken and mac & cheese. The chicken was average and the the mac & cheese was not good. It was your basic out of the can stuff. But, others at my table loved their food. The tuna burger was a hit and I tried my friend's black eyed peas and they were spicy and good. Just be prepared for a really loud dining experience. read more

I've been waiting to write this review a long time. I've been coming here for years, but I wanted to make sure I wrote a honest review and not over the top. So this review is from my last three or four visits. I have always had good service here, sometimes better than others, but never bad. The staff has always been happy to give their suggestions for what's good that day on blackboard of extra for that day. Always read the blackboard before ordering! You might miss something good. The food is awesome. I've worked my way through the menu from top to bottom and back again. Some of my favorites: CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN - Huge chicken breast, moist and tender, with a crispy and crunchy layer covered in a creamy white gravy. OMG!! This one hurts every time I order it. It's a lot to eat with the three sides, but it's so good. JAMAICAN JERK RIBS - Lean, tender, and spicy. You get good meaty ribs not bones. JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN - You get a 1/2 chicken with the same spicy flavors of the Jerk ribs. Once again, the flavors are so good. NEW ORLEANS MUFFULLETA is one of my favorites here. There is so much flavor going on in this sandwich it's unreal. It's a lot to eat, but so good. One other sandwich I want to mention is the CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH. I don't really eat chicken salad often, but OMG!! This sandwich is killer! I love this thing. Five stars because the food is always good, the service is good, and so far EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE, I've brought here loves it and keeps coming back. Enjoy! read more

I went to Hoover's a good five years ago, and I distinctly remember having to undo my belt and being rolled out the door because I ate way, way more than I should have. It was that dang delicious. I was back over the weekend and I had talked up this place so much that my friend was also excited about a quality meal with a huge glass of tea. He had the Red, White and Bleu burger. He was happy with it. I had the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, macaroni and broccoli. Chicken fried steak was alright. A little too much gristle for my taste though. The mashed potatoes were below average. Not very tasty and pretty generic. Same goes for the macaroni. Cheesy, but not creamy. Very little flavor. I was disappointed in my meal. I hope they rediscover the magic. read more

I ordered a Thanksgiving Turkey Breast with trimmings by phone 0n 13 Nov and gave them a credit card number. When my wife picked up the order on 24 Nov they asked for the credit card. In reviewing my credit card transactions I saw that they charged the card twice, on 13 Nov and on 24 Nov. I called spoke to a manager who promised to look into it but I never heard back from him. I have initiated a dispute with the credit card company. Based on this I advise against placing phone orders with Hoovers. read more

~Atmosphere~ A southern style place with adequate seating, friendly staff, and very open floor plan. ~Service~ Service has been great. It's been pretty busy every time we've went so the wait staff wasn't very personable [too busy] but they were quite efficient and checked in often. ~Food~ The food here is amazing. I get the Fried Porkchops and can't recommend them enough. Unless you're saving room for dessert or got heavy sides I recommend getting 2 chops instead of 1 as they're quite delicious. The Chicken Fried Steak is quite good too and I don't even like Chicken Fried Steak all that much. The menu is moderately sized with a good selection of entrees. ~Overall~ This is me and my husbands preferred place to go for Southern Style. The food is delicious, the price is right, the portions are great and the service is on point. I highly, highly, highly recommend this place. read more

I love this place because I can get southern cookin' comfort food. Fried catfish, fries, mac'n'cheese, and fried okra...who could ask for more? I always leave full and happy. I also love the fact that this place attracts people of all colors, groups, and backgrounds, from church ladies, to hipsters, to gay couples, to families. I like to think the diversity of the clientele goes to show that good food is good food, no matter who you are! read more

I love this place! Huge potions and great food. The meatloaf is amazing, as is the mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. Chicken fried steak is always a good choice, as well as the Jamaican jerk ribs. They have decent margaritas too, for a home cooking place. They also have a HH with some deals on food and drinks. Their dessert is amazing. Blackberry cobbler and other pies and cakes are available. The sweet tea also deserves a mention. This food is heavy though, so go when you're really hungry read more

I've had Hoover's on my list of go-to places in Austin for a while. Since I don't make it down there very often, I sent my daughter to scout it out. Her first trip, she liked it. Her second trip, she loved it. So now when I go to visit her it's, "Dad, we have to go to Hoover's!" Okay, sweetie. We went for a Sunday breakfast. If this place had been here when I was in school, I would have labeled it "Hangover Heaven." It is the mark of a truly good breakfast spot if you can look at the menu and have no idea what to get because everything looks so good. I got the chicken and waffles because, well, not everybody has chicken and waffles. It was outstanding. The chicken was very good and the waffle was perfect. I had sausage and home fries and they were really good. The OJ is fresh but they at least need to seine the seeds out. The only thing keeping this from 5 stars is the service. It's not bad service. They're nice and seem to work hard to address your needs. It is simply slow. And it is slow because they're either understaffed or hire folks who just don't want to operate at full speed. Our waiter was also the bartender and you simply can't have one guy doing both in a packed house. That's not a knock on him, that's on management. But by the same token, looked like management was busting their ass, too. That would indicate insufficient staffing. Truth be told, I'd go back here if they told me I'd have to go in the kitchen and get it myself. So.... Smiley face and a star for the food. read more

My husband and I was looking for some soul food and came across this place online the menu looked good and had good reviews well reviews can be deceiving I ordered the fried catfish it was the only thing that was hot the greens came from a can no taste the sweet potatoes no flavor the corn bread dressing cold no taste husband ordered gumbo it had a pile of rice on it that was crunchy I guess it was left out to long jerk chicken was not jerked corn bread muffins cold and tasteless needless to say we will not return read more

Hit the spot, Went here for lunch today and got the meatloaf and a lemonade and it was well worth it. The lemonade came in a massive pitcher that was enough for two to share, but at least it was good fresh lemonade. The service was not the fastest, but was passable. The meatloaf was rather good and the tomatoes an peppers and such they smothered it in really made it good. My friend got the chicken fried steak, and that was about as good as they come, dry on the outside and moist on the inside. The biggest issue with this place is the raw size of the dishes, you get more than your money's worth and definitely more than a stomach full, which I normally count against a place, but it seems to fit the theme of this place. I would advise most normal eaters to simply share a drink and a dish or just plan on leftovers no matter how hungry or stoned you are. The thing that brings this place from 3 stars to 4 is the quality of the sides, very impressive. They do a good job with their vegetables in terms of how they cook them and season them. They do not pull any of the "covering up" of the flavor of the veggies that many places are guilty of through added meat or cheese. They do have an order that is just 3 sides, and I will be sincerely tempted to get this next time. I do plan on returning for breakfast one weekend for the fried chicken and waffles, haven't had that since the last time I was in Atlanta. read more

This place has the best Turkey Day Feast for those who spend their holidays in not-so traditional ways. My ex-boyfriends mother was out of the state and my family was celebrating with in-laws, so we took his dad to Hoovers. He oohed and ahhed and we had a very affordable feast! They are heavy on the butter and gravy, but hey isn't that was the holidays are for?? For those meat eaters out there, the pork ribs fall off the bone directly into your mouth! read more

I was on my way to another restaurant for a lunch date, but as soon as we saw this place I braked and turned with lightning speed, because sometimes you just need soul food. I had previously been to Threadgill's, but Hoover's blew them right out of the water. The menu is far more extensive and I think I actually like mustard greens more than collard greens. I got the fried catfish, my date got pork chops. I usually don't like seafood, but holy crap...that catfish was deeeelicious. I got a smaller portion so I could get three sides, but I'm kind of wishing I would have gotten more catfish. I also wish I hadn't been so full so I could have tried one of the many delicious sounding desserts they have. Mango cobbler? Yes please! I also like the really open dining room, it makes the place feel really friendly when you walk in and the place is full of chatty people. I'll give one star off because my friend didn't get his macaroni side at first, and they charge extra to get gravy with your pork chops? Really? read more

Here's the recipe for a breakfast party at Hoover's. Chicken fried steak, sweet potato pancakes, a side of home fries, and a side of gravy with a sausage patty crumbled up and mixed in. Throw that gravy on them fries, pound that steak, and crush on them pancakes! The chicken fried steak is fresh, hand dipped, and cooked to delicious, flakey-golden perfection, the sweet potato pancakes are fluffy and moist with a wonderful sweet potato sauce on top, the sausage gravy is thick and rich with just the right balance of flour and pepper, and the homefries are cooked just hard enough for a little crunch, but just soft for a perfect balance in texture. Enjoy! read more

NOT IMPRESSED food was average at best, "signature sausage" was DRY/overcooked, lacked flavor in general, sides were okay -- nothing special wait(er) service was poor... having to ask for ice three (3) times is ridiculous would NOT recommend, would NOT go back read more

I don't have the best frame of reference but I would say that Hoover's Cooking tops the list of best comfort food in austin. The outside doesn't give a good indication of what is inside...goodness is inside, that's what. I think I had a fried meat of some sort with amazing veggies and had cobler in the end. It was so much of the good. Highly recommend this place. read more

Here's my ten bucks, now gimme my giant plate of hot grub! Nothing on the menu here has ever been a let-down. Nothing really screams with flavor, but everything is good and fresh and BIG -- I always have lunch for the next day in my take-home box. For veg-heads a couple of sides is all you need (the mustard greens shred!). And for tequila-lime junkies like me, one frozen house margarita is all you need. As long as they keep it that way I'm-a keep coming back. I'm happy to spend my money on the east side. Plus I usually bump into some cool cats at this place. The only thing that keeps pissing me off here is that I'm always so friggin stuffed by the time I eat my dinner that I can't even look at their big fat dessert menu... I want me summa that sweet potato pie but I'm already about to explode. read more

If my brother was Jesus, his birthday would be Christmas....but he's not so we went to Hoovers to experience what has since been known as "Chicken Fried Steak: The Reckoning." Gently nestled on east Manor Rd, this place is a soul-food staple. Gumbo, Jerk and BBQ chicken, Pulled Pork, corn bread and other assortments of bread that I couldn't even begin to fathom until then....my bread universe has just experienced another Big Bang and my nipples are still erect from the encounter. The staff was generally awesome, Chuck or Chris or Steve, maybe Jeff, offered my brother a bearded lap-dance for his birthday--how generous. if you're into home-style southern deserts--cakes, pies, cheese cakes, cobblers and the like, gear up to purchase new elastic waists-band pants cause they have a rotating menu of specialties that will lead you gently towards diabetes--or live-abetes depending on your outlook on life. On this day: Banana Pudding Cheese Cake. Just try not breathing through your mouth!! Generous portions, adequate pricing-- my brother literally inhaled his CFS and noted "This is better than Broken Spoke...." so there, I said it. My Cajun-Charokee girlfriend, straight from the swampland of Louisiana said their gumbo was the best she's had in Texas-- game recognizes game kemosabe. For me Jamaican Jerk Chicken--which I saved half just for lunch to continue the experience of the Iry poultry. Living the dream, boi.... If you're into good food, with a fantastic staff and plan on working out the next day--hit this place up. If you don't plan on working out the next day, order a diet coke. boom-shaka-laka! read more

We live very close to Hoovers and so have been here quite a bit when desperate for a quick meal near home. To start with the food was never really impressive, but the location made it worth it. However, the past 4-5 visits have been consistently disappointing to where we have now decided to never go back. The last straw was when I ordered the garlic shrimp Caesar salad that was more like a puddle of water with lettuce floating in it and rubbery, over salted shrimp. Not to mention one very rude waiter that we will be happy to never see again. The bread basket always tastes stale and dry and I am baffled when I see someone actually eating the bread. Their happy hour margarita really ends up being more expensive per ounce than the regular price because they give it to you in such a tiny glass. I thought it was a joke the first time we ordered one. There are some things like the jerk chicken and the jalapeno creamed spinach that usually come out good, but the consistency of quality overall is just not there. read more

Oh my goodness...I don't know how I haven't made a review over this place yet! The best comfort food I've come across in Austin thus far! The chicken fried steak is to die for. Can't get enough of the tastyness. And oh the portions! An incredible amount of food for a fantastic price. Perfect. read more

Hoover's Cooking - I ATE IT ALMOST ALL. SO AMAZING. - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Was here again today. I was generous with two stars last time, just hoping they'd be better next time. Now the rating is down to a one star. The Mac and Cheese had over cooked pasta and the chicken fried steak was hard and cooked in old grease. The pecan pie had dry pecans on the top, not in the pie the way they should have been. A coworker had chocolate pie with gritty sugar so the sugar was cheap and/or not mixed long enough in the cream to dissolve. Three of us agreed we'd never go back willingly. There was also glass on the ground outside in their parking lot from a smashed vehicle window. ----- Each time I've updated a review for this business with details of what I ordered, a new review pops up on this site with identical food items coupled with praise. So, if you are like me check dates of bad reviews with dates of great reviews for the same items. Seems odd and I finally got around to adding this information to my review. read more

Definitely the place to go to if you want some good southern home cooking. I stopped in Austin for the evening and was craving chicken fried steak...this place didn't disappoint. I appreciate the "homie" atmosphere this place gives. I definitely recommend giving this place a try. read more

Ordered charcuterie plate and a house Cobb. The charcuterie plate was wonderful. The hot sausage and cheese was very nice. Then got to the Shrimp Cobb. I hate picking into my salad for the shrimp pieces because the chef thought that by leaving the tails on it made it more appealing. 12 shrimp tails later and after having to cut the lettuce into less than leaf sized pieces I tasted the garlic vinaigrette dressing and nearly vomited. That dressing is disgusting. Needless to say I left the shrimp less salad in the bowl and made my way to a McDonalds where food is as advertised. His bbq May be all the rage but this meal deserved a two thumbs down. read more

This is down home cooking at it's best. This is what Threadgill's ought to be but isn't. The greens are awesome, the porkchops are amazing, tender, light, breaded, and just about everything on the menu is very very tasty. The one drawback is the service, it's pretty much mediocre at best, and those hostesses can be downright surly. Don't bother getting grumpy if the restaurant is half-empty and waiters are sitting around counting tips, because they won't seat you till they feel like it, and your "attitude" will get you nowhere. Since Hoover is wandering around most of the time, I assume he doesn't care. You came here for the food, right? read more

Slowly adventuring out to restaurants-I've wanted to support Hoover's. I went for a late lunch Tuesday-VERY impressed with their Covid Protocol! I felt very safe at my distanced booth ! Utensils and a crisp clean cloth napkin arrived in a zip locked baggy -Perfect! I ordered the Hoover size 1/2 smoked BBQ chicken with a dinner salad-creamed jalapeño spinach and fries-OMG-the chicken was perfect -nice crust and very juicy-the large potion of their creamed jalapeño spinach was excellent-don't be scared -it wasn't apparent of an over abundance of cream-all this with perfect ice tea-and I could not leave without trying their Banana Pudding-excellent-all in all-a perfect inexpensive huge meal-(sorry Rudy's BBQ)I cant wait to go back to try their other menu items! Please support our local restaurants-and the Black owned ones! Good Safe Eats to you! Thank you Hoover's -it was a taste of Southern Heaven! read more

Wish they closed at 9pm, then we would have gone elsewhere. I get that late on a Tuesday may not be the best shift, but this was just sad. Nasty greenhouse tomatoes in the salad during tomato season is shameful. The bread basket contained two mealy dry corn muffins and a single dessicated biscuit.... man, I'd been looking forward to those sweet potato biscuits all day, too. Would have been just the thing to get the tomato taste out of my mouth. I'd have spoken up at the restaurant but I was too hungry and cranky to be civil. read more

I am going to try to be very measured in this review and I hope you will stick to the end. When we arrived it took quite a while to order beverages. When they arrived, they were all wrong (sodas, so nothing complicated). When our meal arrive, mine was all wrong as was my boyfriend's. When the food finally arrived, it was fantastic! Seriously SO good! However, the real trouble started after that. We asked for the bill and the waitress waited twenty minutes to bring it. She was elderly, so we reminded ourselves to be patient. We were dining with my brother so he requested his one meal and one soda on a separate tab. Waitress was gone with our cards for nearly a half hour. My brother asked the hostess to please check on our cards. Hostess passed us by and stammered something about there "being a problem but they'll get it fixed." She also told us, "She's totally getting fired tonight so don't worry!" Yikes! We didn't want to be responsible for that and it was really none of our business what type of disciplinary action was going to be taken. So awkward! We were never rude and never requested she be fired, for the record. When the waitress finally came back and we opened the binder, each card had been charged multiple, random amounts. There was no rhyme or reason as to how the suns were determined and no word from her on how, exactly we were to pay. Was it an error? Did she cancel some of them? Were they all processed? WHAT WAS HAPPENING? By then we were nervous for fraud so we asked for the manager. The manager totally came in hot and with an attitude. At one point I said, 'Sir, you're not actually blaming US for this debacle, right?!?' He said he wasn't blaming us and then took all the receipts (AKA our proof for our banks that something was wrong) and ripped them to shreds right in front of us! He kept insisting it would somehow be fixed at the end of the night. He disappeared to the back again and reappeared with yet another receipt for each of us! He was not to be reasoned with so we decided to give up and leave. We all called our banks from the parking lot. He denied the multiple charges to my brother despite my brother having tried to show him his online banking. All said, my brother was charged four times with the fourth charge being for the entire bill. Our final amount charged was wrong, too. If you eat here, be sure and pay cash. As stated, the god was excellent. The waitress was absolutely awful but the manager said she was new and everyone deserves a second chance. The manager was a total piece of work. Completely unapologetic and rude. Didn't even offer us a slice of pie or anything for the nearly hour we spent trying to wait and reason for something done by every restaurant multiple times a day. We will not be back, although the dessert menu looked delicious. read more

All I can say is wow. Seriously the worst food and service I've had in a long time. Most of the food came out cold. It took more that 10 minutes to even get a drink. After our food came out, I could tell that the server was talking about us under their breath to another server. I honestly think because I'm white I was treated badly. In response to the owner Hoover. I'm disappointed that the service was so terrible. If the staff didn't treat me differently because of my race, then they just treated me and my other half badly and unjustly so. The point is, we came in and spent over $30 for cold food and poor service for two people. I was embarrassed that I suggested going to Hoovers instead of my go to place. Just to put it in perspective, I went and waited 3 hours in a line for BBQ directly after leaving. My suggestion is, don't go to Hoovers. I'm sure the owner is nice but the service was absolutely the WORST I have had in years. This is not an exaggeration. read more

I lived in Austin for 4 years and never made it to this place. I finally made it last night. Wow! I was missing out! This place is awesome. We went as a big group so we got many different dishes on the menu. The best entree I got to try was the chicken fried chicken. The chicken fried steak was ok, the pork chops kind of tasted like chicken, and the meatloaf was kind of bland. The portions here are HUGE! It also comes with 2 sides. My favorite was the fried okra, the worst were the yams. The mac and cheese and the mashed potatoes were meh. The service was extremely nice and quick! I will be making it back! read more

Come early for lunch cuz this place fills up fast! Once you've had the food you will see why. We had about 8 people in our party and the service was excellent and friendly. Everyone loved their food. I had the chicken fried chicken and it was fantastic. Next week we're going for someone else's birthday and I'm already craving the chicken! read more

We landed at Hoovers for our 100th review....and we were not disappointed...Service was at its best and Kristy did a great job of keeping up with us...Started with chips, queso, and salsa...Chips not so hot...lots of little pieces and tasted a bit off...Salsa was fresh tasting, while the queso was a new adventure for us...We pretty sure they use corn in the queso. Gives it a unique taste..and well...It was GOOD...on to the meals, which were enormous...Wife settled on the chicken fried steak,mash and mac and cheese...Steak had a great flavor...good cut of meat...crunchy goodness on the outside....Mash went great with the meal and the mac and cheese was creamy and fresh....Myself I went for the ried pork chops, mas and jalapeno cream spinach. The Two giant FRIED chops were awesome as well as the jalapeno cream spinach. Mash was a great mate to add on. Gravy made for some tasty coverage on both meals...And to celebrate our 100th review, we had our first ever desert...The chocolate cream pie...great thin crispy crust and the chocolate cream wasn't overly sweet and very filling...Thanks Hoovers... read more

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Food was blah... Salty... Runny mashed potatoes, cold squash... But then... The roach running up the wall... Last straw. Will never go back.. read more

Your typical home cooked food type of restaurant, the chicken fried steak was average. The smoked chicken was pretty good. The service left a lot to be desired. The waitress would disappear with your drink to refill it, you'd have to ask for her to bring it back. If you asked for anything like the check or silverware bc it wasn't on your table it took 10 minutes to get it. We've visited Austin before & never been disappointed in the local places - but this one lacked a lot! read more

I'd give the food a high praise, definitely authentic food, so much to the point i felt inclined to leave a review about it. Not too keen on the service though, server took forever to greet, forever x2 just to bring out the water, not once did she touch base with us after she took our order to make sure we had everything until she brought out the check, and would disappear before you could get a word out (wanted to order dessert). Quite honestly I felt like she was treating myself and my guest as bums, like we weren't worth the time. However, all that being said, food was bomb and balanced out the whole experience. read more

This is southern home cooking. It's never been particularly comfortable to me though, so I won't use that other descriptor. But the entrees are done well. The model here is "Meat and three": Pick a meat and 3 sides. Until someone shows me otherwise, this is my "go to" place for boudin. And the chicken fried chicken is unbelievably moist. Where things fall off the rails is with the home style sides. They sound good but just aren't all that tasty. Examples of things I wished were tastier: butterbeans, creamed jalapeno spinach, carrots....Heck....I would even take them with less healthy preparations. Like with salt and butter. But, the portions are huge. And so are the Texans....so there. read more

Hoover's owner is Texas-born but Louisiana-influenced. Portions are huge. Lots of fresh sides and desserts posted on the blackboard. If you want spicy, you can have it. Regional foods include Cajun as well as Elgin sausage. If you like Threadgills, you'll love Hoovers. Service is generally friendly and efficient although the building they're in tends to be drafty on a cold evening. Fave dishes include the chicken fried steak (better than Threadgills) and the chicken breast (surprisingly juicy). The last time I went, I was a little disappointed at the dry catfish. The ribs are excellent and served on butcher paper. Parking is always a problem - get too close to Thunderbird's and you'll be in a bumper car war. But a packed parking lot is the sign of a good restaurant! read more

Gotta say... it's an OK place, but the hype is out of control. First of all -- you'll get a good, solid meal here with a smile... Reasonable prices for an unreal amount of food... if you can finish the "Hoover-size" portions, bless you. But the food just isn't *that* great. The chicken-fried steak was really good... but I'm not blown away. The mashed potatoes were similarly good. But the "buttered carrots" tasted as though they came straight out of a can. And the mac and cheese -- well, I've had some from a box that was tastier. With that said though, the service is great, and it's not a bad place at all. There are tons of options, so you might find the right combination for you. For me, it's a place I'll probably end up at again, but won't set out for. read more