My husband and I went to Hoovers last night with our friends and their 2 year old daughter. We've all lived in Austin for a couple of years, not sure why it took us so long to try this place. The food is traditional Texas home style comfort food. I had chicken-friend chicken breast. Everyone else had chicken-fried steak. The meat was good, drowned in yummy white gravy. Each plate came with three delicious sides (between us we had stewed tomatos and okra, mustard greens, garlic potatoes, steamed brocoli, mac & cheese). We were too full to try the deserts. Portions are generous and prices are reasonable. Service was attentive and kid-friendly. As well as a high chair our server brought textas (or sharpies, as you strange Americans call them) for the kid to colour in with). She was very happy. So the rest of us were happy. read more

A solid 4! Great place for a fulfilling meal. I was craving chicken fried steak, and this place really hit the spot. I got the chicken and sausage gumbo in the beginning, and it had a very smokey flavor. I found that it was better (less smokey) after adding a bit of tabasco sauce. As for the chicken fried steak, the breading was crispy, and the steak was flavorful. I also got mashed potatoes and potato salad as sides. Potato overkill but oh well. The gravy and mashed potatoes were pretty good, and I really liked the potato salad. I also had a bite of meatloaf, but it seemed overpowered by the sauce, which wasn't even that great. However, I left very full and satisfied. As for service, it was good. Our server was very attentive and friendly. He was even attentive to the air vents; he decided that it was so dusty he had to stand on a chair and start wiping it, even though it was straight above a customer who was eating. I would have been afraid of dust falling into my food, but the customer was so focused on his book, he didn't even notice (fortunately). read more

Pretty good southern comfort food with large portions. Sadly, I've had better. The jamaican jerk chicken was pretty good, especially with the carribean rice. The okra was pretty awesome as well. I tried the cream spinach but I didn't like it very much, it had a weird after taste but to each his own. I had the chicken fried steak for another meal and if it wasn't for the gravy, the dish might not have survived the menu. The portions was what got me, Hoover size gives you almost double the entree but with one less side option. The service was on point and super friendly so I do feel bad docking them one star, but overall this place is good to try at least once! read more

What happened, Hoover's?! It pains me to leave a less-than-decent review of you because when you were in San Antonio, you were phenomenal. But somehow the trek up I35 made you lose your mojo. The mac and cheese used to be spicy and amazing. Now it's bland. The food never seems fresh; I feel like it's been sitting out all day. Even the cobbler left me sad. The portions are so ginormous you'd want to share - but I don't appreciate a $2 (lunch) or $3 (dinner) charge for sharing. Lame. I'll have to come back for breakfast because I'll never forget those stellar hoecakes...I just hope they're as good as I remember them. read more

Okay, I went back to Hoover's about a week after Thanksgiving and ordered what 99% of everyone on Yelp is saying is so good. The chicken fried steak, with mashed potatoes and okra & tomatoes. Okay everyone says you can't eat the whole thing - it is so big! Yes, it looks big when you get it. It covers more than half the plate. But, half of that (I'm being generous) is just empty breading. The okra & tomatoes were bland. I have made better in my own kitchen with a can of Rotel and a frozen bag of okra. Also, I ordered 2 pieces of that great sweet potato pie! I had ordered to go. I got home and no pie. I have to drive 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back. The guy was nice and said sorry I'll put your name down to come back and get your pie. What? no gratuity for me missing my pie ( the best part of the meal) and having to drive damn near an hour to come back and get it? Okay, I went back a couple of days later and gave my name for my 2 pieces of pie. Waited around a bit and the guy came back and said the owner/manager said to give me a whole pie for my trouble. Happy Days!! Okay, that's what I'm talking about! A whole sweet potato pie just for me :) Okay, I was ecstatic until I tasted the pie. It was made by a whole different person who lived in a totally different country. This pie was not good. It had no sweetness and the spices were bland as well. Who the hell messed up the sweet potato pie??? I'm done with Hoover's! Why people think this place is so great is beyond me! They my make good to okay barbecue but stay away from the rest. They know nothing about how soul food is suppose to taste. If you guys want to know soul food drive up to Dallas, Tx and go to Sweet Georgia Brown's. read more

I'd still argue that this is one of the best southern cooking spots in Texas, though my last visit was a few years ago. So i can not attest to their current quality. At my last visit, their queso, without much complexity, is just so flat out delicious. The Elgin sausage dish is good, but their forte is chicken fried chicken and chicken fried steak. Sides are standard southern fare, with fried okra being my favorite. read more

I think my impression of Hoover's is biased since I had BRUNCH on my mind. So after a 30-min walk from UTAustin campus, I was pretty hungry with expectation. The food was good, definitely. I had the Fried Catfish with a good amount of sides. None of the sides really struck me as impressive unfortunately. I am a beans lover, so pretty critical about my beans. It was ok, but again not getting any to go. The service was, again, good but not spectacular. But didn't leave feeling like I had the experience that most people on here had. Perhaps I'll stick to what they are known for, Fried Chicken; I'll also take a bus/cab so I'm not just in a hurry to sit down. read more

This is for Hoovers South. When you have friends in from out of town who want a taste of Austin, where do you take them? How about Hoover's! For good food at good prices, you can't beat it. The decor is all Austin, all the time. You can see different Austin artists' work displayed and even buy it if you love it. The chairs are not comfortable and your table cloth is a section of butcher's paper. Who cares! You get a great wait staff who knows how to give you just enough sass to keep things interesting without ever straying over into obnoxious or rude. You get food that always tastes consistently good. At our table two of us got the chicken-fried chicken which is an obscenely huge boneless breast. Another got the rack of ribs and the couple split the porkchops. My sides were fried okra and the jalapeno creamed spinach. Hoover's fried okra is always yummy! I switch off on the other side but last night I was in the mood for the perfectly creamed spinach with just a little heat. Honestly, it could be hotter, but I do understand that not everyone has my taste buds. Of course we got dessert. A meal at Hoover's isn't complete without some cobbler or a piece of pie. Luckily everyone got dessert then we each passed ours to the left so everyone could have a bite. It was a dessert sampler smorgasbord with smiles all around. We had blackberry cobbler, pecan pie, cranberry-chocolate cheesecake, sweet potato praline cheesecake and peach cobbler. My faves were the sweet potato praline cheesecake and my own choice--the pecan pie. So count on Hoovers for consistency when you want to know what you are getting--good food, good friends and good prices. read more

We came here for lunch on a Sunday with a huge group of locals who were super excited about it. It was a cute restaurant with very friendly waiters who handled our group well, even separating out like 6 or so different checks for us. I had the 4-veggie plate which means you can choose 4 sides. I had brocolli, carrots, potato salad, and candied yams. The portions were pretty big so I was wishing I had only gotten 3 sides, but at least I got full. I enjoyed the food, although the carrots were pretty disappointing. Warning to vegetarians, they will tell you there is no meat in the mac and cheese, but the reason it is not marked as vegetarian on the menu is because there is bacon drippings used in the preparation. I appreciate that my server knew this, and that the restaurant had the courtesy to label it correctly on the menu even though the answer to "is there meat in this?" is "no". read more

Ordered the chicken fried steak with fried okra, mashed potatoes, and a dinner salad. Also got spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. The appetizer wasn't very flavorful, but the chips were decently thick, and the toast was a nice touch. The chicken fried steak was pretty good, though not spectacular, in my opinion. The fried okra was nice and crispy. The mashed potatoes were okay, though a bit watery. I felt like the portions were kind of small for a $10 chicken fried steak dinner, but not terribly so. They delivered some bread with the meal, and it was some weird, tiny, malfourmed corn bread and wheat biscuit/roll/things. I thought the bread was just kind of odd. It tasted okay, though. The hostess and the waiter were super nice, and the waiter was very good at being attentive without being annoying. The place is definitely striving for a classic Texas diner look, and pulls it off well, though most classic Texas diners were nasty and filled with cigarette smoke, so Hoover's was a gigantic improvement over what they're trying to imitate. I would probably come back here if I was craving American food that was safe and I knew wasn't bad. This is a good replacement for The Blackeyed Pea. It's not something I'm going to crave, though. read more

Hoovers is really close to me so I've been there a lot for food and for drinks. The bar section is pretty small as it is largely a dining restaurant but they do have really nice frozen margaritas :-) there are A LOT of regulars that frequent the bar section and they are all friendly so it's not a place you're going to feel uncomfortable in if you stop by by yourself. I've eaten a few different things here. Their wings Austex Jerk and there's one I cannot remember but it has an alcoholic sauce/seasoning. Either way all of their wings are good and seasoned really well. But if they tell you it's hot - BELIVE THEM! they have a really good spinach dip and a standard nothing fancy queso My favorite meal here is their fried catfish! I never finish all of it especially with the sides but that doesn't stop me from wanting to order it ALL THE TIME. It is full of flavor and always breaded and fried perfectly. I recently tried their banana cheesecake and didnt think I would like it at all because I tend to not like banana but it was AMAZING The owner is usually there a lot and he's super friendly and always makes sure everyone is enjoying themselves and that things run smoothly read more

I have been eating at Hoovers for over 10 years. I have eaten at this location, as well as the north location when it was open. For down home, southern cooking, it is one of my top choices. The chicken fried steak is always good, and the desserts are sooo yummy. I have always had good Service, and the daily specials are good deals. Visit the East Side of Austin, and goto Hoover's!! read more

Great meal and yummy dessert. Chicken fried chicken with cream gravy, green beans, and glazed carrots. Topped off with a slice of the banana pudding cheesecake. Everyone else had the chicken fried steak. Hubby is still talking about how good it was. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried chicken - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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THE friendliest waitress (Paula Dean friendly) kept coming over to check in on us and keep our coffee topped off. I had the Chicken N Cake where you can mix and match your chicken with pancakes. I ordered the 3 strips of fried chicken breasts (not oily at all, just moist chicken and crispy skin) and 2 sweet potato pancakes (fluffy and topped with a purée). This dish solved all my sweet or savory, breakfast or lunch conundrums. Happy food babies! read more

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

I enjoyed the pictures on the wall. It didn't take long to get seated. Nice portion size. The people were nice. Okra was good. I didn't really like the food. I had pork chops they was alright. Mac and cheese needed a Lil more flavor and the sweet tea wasn't really sweet. It was like they put the sugar in the tea after it was cold already. Probably won't go back again. But that's just me though. read more

While I wish I could give Hoover's a four star rating, the last few times I've been there the food and service were just slightly bellow excellent. The chicken fried steak is arguably the best in town, but it's greatness tends to fluctuate. Fortunately that was great at my last visit. As for the sides, while the Mac and cheese was delicious, I literally saw day old ( or worse) rice mixed in with the fresh stuff! No thanks. Finally, I tried the wings about a month ago , and they were flavorful, tender, and tasted fresh made. This prompted me to order them again, but this time they tasted over cooked - or even like they had been made yesterday! The recipes are clearly not the problem , which leads me to believe someone in the kitchen is serving food prepped the day before. At this price point, the sides should be fresh and the meats fresh off the smoker. I hope the management will do what they can to tighten things up because I have been eating at Hoover's since they opened and still consider myself a fan. Hoover - i believe it was Thursday the 7th. I am hoping to bring this rating up a star next time. Thank you for your hard work and dedication all these years! read more

The food was decent but nothing amazing. Smoked bbq chicken as very flavorful. The grits were a little on the watery side. The cowboy beans needed about half of the garlic and salt. What was really disappointing was our waitress Rebecca. She came to our table 4 times in 45 minutes. To take our order, to ask if we wanted desert, and to drop off and pick up the check. The drink order (after we had been there 10 minutes), bringing out the drinks, getting us refills, bringing our food, checking up on us were all done by another server or the kitchen. Not sure what the point of having a waitress that doesn't wait on you is. read more

DELICIOUS! The chicken friend steak is DA BOMB! The collard greens and mac and cheese are southern fare at its best. I like that they have Arnold Palmers. I went for Sunday brunch and didn't have to wait at all- that's a major selling point in this town! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried steak! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

This past Sunday, we went to Hoovers for a solid meal. The place was packed but we didn't have any wait time. My wife was jumping up and down excited that they had a special that day. Three pieces of fried chicken. She said it was very delicious. There certainly wasn't any meat on the bones when my wife was done with the chicken. My chicken fried chicken breast was as good as always, as were the green beans, mashed potatoes, and carrots. We rounded the meal by splitting a piece of chocolate cream pie between us. I think they may have the best cream pies in Austin. Service was outstanding. We highly recommend. read more

Good soul food place near campus..we go there for lunch often..not fancy..but they are good at what they do..staff is friendly..its cheap for the amount of food..must try 1. the tuna burger (only friday's for lunch) 2. ribs 3. catfish 4. sides are awesome: fried okra, mac n cheese, yams.. 5. they give corn bread and pumpkin bread for the table 6. cobblers are just as good..(too sweet for my taste but friends like them) read more

DELICIOUS! The BEST soul food around! Love the Red, White, & Bleu Burger and the Mac & Cheese is to die for!! Food has amazing cajun flavor, and portions are big so come in hungry!! read more

Had a bad experience today. Here are the reasons why... 1) The hostess couldn't tell me how long the wait was. She wasn't friendly. When taking my name, she spelled "Ryan" with two "Rs." 2) It took 50 minutes for us to get a table. 3) The waitress was very slow. When repeatedly asked (in a polite manner) if we could get some bread, she replied, "I'm doing the best I can." 4) My cousin found a hair in her food. 5) My blackberry cobbler was cold. I won't be returning to this establishment. read more

I go here for breakfast every few weeks with family. I always get the migas which are good, and the side of fruit is always fresh.The beans have an odd flavor, but they're passable. The wait staff is very cordial, but it seems the order usually comes in shifts instead of all at once. The waiters don't get rattled when someone asks for an extra piece of toast or for a glass of juice after they've brought everything else. I don't feel bad about getting up to refill my water glass if the wait staff is busy. It feels like being at an a cousin's house and they're trying to make sure all the visiting kin get their breakfast just the way they want it. read more

Okay you will get no complaint from me in the food department, all the food is pretty amazing just HOOVER size it ;) My only dilemma is customer service, which I've experienced with dine-in and take-out.... Decided to SPLIT the Hoover sized, Chicken Fried Chicken. For some reason our waiter FAILED to mention he would be charging us a $3.00 split plate fee. WHICH was not even an issue, the problem was you charged me to split my plate but didn't remember when he placed my order, failed to mention it, so when my food arrives. I split the plate myself and get dirty. Please explain me why you charged me the split plate fee, if didn't split my plate. Final icing on the cake was with the ticket, asked the gentlemen for change for 2 $20s Instead he just brings change for the ticket... Grrrrrrr For my Take-Out experience Placed my order over the phone, told the guy " I'm allergic to CINNAMON, so can I please just get the cornbread", seeing you get bread with your meals. So much of my surprise when I get home with my food, that I only got one cornbread roll and sweet potato roll (which i found out after i called to complain) My point is, the GUY was clearly not LISTENING when I placed my order and ignored that fact i mentioned I have food allergy. NOT VERY COOL BUDDY read more

Hoover's is the real deal. Only tips are to ask for bread when you sit down and know that most of the food is spicy. read more

Surprisingly great food. I didn't expect much from a southern restaurant in a shopping-center-esque building a half mile from a huge college campus and downtown with abstract art for sale on the walls, BUT this was the closest place with some of the "best fried catfish in Austin" so I gave it a shot. The catfish was among the best tasting I've had, except the filets were very tiny and for $11 you don't get much catfish. Plenty of food with the sides and bread, just not much catfish. For $12 I'm used to getting never-ending catfish in Houston, but I could only eat one plate because they bring a stack of huge filets (Sudie's). Good enough that I went back though and tried the chicken fried steak and the chicken fried chicken. Both were excellent and definently not from a frozen package like some places. The sides have all been good so far. The one problem with comfort food is that I always compare it to how grandma used to make it. This is some of the best southern food you can get outside grandma's kitchen though. PS: The peach cobbler is from a can, even during peach season. I asked before I ordered it thankfully. read more

1st Caveat - I am not Texan 2nd Caveat - I am not Southern 3rd Caveat - I am from California So already I am at a disadvantage because we just dont eat like that. A) huge portions - is this a good thing? some say yes, some say is why our country is so fat! I like the idea of getting my money's worth, but I would always opt for quality vs. quantity. Something I have had to teach myself was to not always finish what's on my plate, but you know there are mothers out there still hounding little kids!? =P B) "Southern Cooking" - now this is something I have learned from my sister who has lived in Austin for 20+ years now, married to a true Southerner (from Houston). First, every recipe begins with the words "Take a stick of butter and melt it in a pan..." =P So, when I ordered "Buttered Carrots", I got exactly what I expected! But, when I recieved my "Mustard Greens" I was expecting overcooked greens, which is indeed what I got, but they were super over-sweetened. I did like the bits of hamhock in there, but why over sugar them? I was hoping for bitter to cut the rest of the taste/profiles going on... My bad though, I should have expected that. Now, having said that, and having read some of the other reviews, the only one that seemed out of place was that someone said their Chicken Fried Steak was tough! and that the gravy was bland? I must say I try to get my sister to take me to one different "Chicken Fry Steak" place each time I come, and this was by far the best I have had to date! It was tender; one might even argue over-tenderized!... but nah, it was perfect actually. And the breading was symbiotic w/ the meat - did it "fall off" like the one guy said? Well yeah, kinda, but not like at other places because the grease had separated the breading from the meat, but because it was so nice and flaky and light and again, back to almost over-tenderized, the steak was easily cut with my fork at times and so the crust complemented the steak as they both fell, in surrender, to my knife and fork! :) My sister had the Jerk Chicken and Sausage at my behest as we shared/split our meals. The Jerk Chicken could have been spicier - it was more of what I call here in Mexi-Cali... "white boy spicy". The Sausage was a star though, nicely smoked... tasted like a jumbo version of Oscar Mayer Smokey Links... yummm. For Dessert, I had the Coconut Cream pie, which was OMFG... Fantastic! So... I would say, if you are expecting some kind of epicurean or "foodies" version of Southern Cooking, dont come here... Expect to eat... A LOT, or to take home. Save room for PIE, damnit! And if you expect more than bland "greens" or "green beans", or any vegetable that ISN'T Gray in color?... get over it... the whole point of Southern Cooking harkens back to the day when they had to deal with the fact that they either had canned beans/veggies, or just not the best veggies... It's Austin for god's sakes, if you want good veggies there are a million other places for that! Best Chicken Fried Steak I have had to date. And I SEEK CFS where ever I can find it! (*and that guy is crazy, the gravy was obviosly made from real drippings, and was anything but bland... and if it is when you come there? Again... get over it, its Southern Cooking! They give you Salt and Pepper at the table, no? Service, fantastic; price, come at "Happy Hour" OH! I almost forgot there was also a "special", that I can't remember the name of (I think it was Tuesday)... where you can get more reasonably smaller portions of the regular entrees, and instead get 3 sides. This is what my sister got, while I got the regular entree cuz I wanted the huge CFS =P read more

Was taken here by my brother who had a decent meal here prior. Needless to say, this was not our experience this time. My mother and I ordered the catfish and my sides were fries, mac & cheese and mustard greens. Food came out promptly and looked good. I took a bite of a french fry and noticed it was cold. I moved to the mac & cheese. It too was cold and did not taste fresh at all! One bite of the greens and again, cold and had a funny taste. Onto the catfish. At first, it tasted fine. I dipped it in the tartar sauce and noticed the sauce was warm! (Mayo is not supposed to be warm!) My mothers' "cowboy beans" were warm, okra was cold and the cole slaw was mediocre and her tartar sauce was warm as well. One thing's for sure......I was NOT thankful for food poisoning this Thanksgiving! We were both sick all night and I'm leaving on a flight out today to go back to LA. Hopefully I will make it home without any issues. Don't know what else to say except eat at your own risk. Will be interesting to see if anybody else go sick from the catfish on Saturday. Good luck and eat safe! M read more

If you're not from the deep south, this place will be pretty good. Unfortunately, I grew up in Mississippi so my expectations for "southern cooking" are pretty high. Decent food, okay service, and welcoming atmosphere. I probably won't go back as there are plenty of more places my wife and I want to try. Not regrettable, but definitely forgettable. read more

I finally got to go back to Hoover's for the first time in about 6 years. I'm never in that part of town, and I've been missing it. I keep telling people how great that place is and how we should get back over there eventually. I was really, really hoping that this place didn't wind up becoming too trendy to have to be great. I was NOT disappointed. The food was fantastic, as always, everybody was nice, and the price was reasonable. You get 3 big ass sides with your big ass meal. That's the kind of miserable stomach ache I look for in a place like this. It's called "Hoover's" because of the vacuum cleaner-like sound you make when you inhale all this food. Go to Hoover's, then go home and lie down. read more

Great jerk chicken. Excellent mustard greens. Good Lima beans. You won't be disappointed. read more

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

Delicious food! I was absolutely wowed by their sides! Cool environment, great service, and convenient location. I will definitely be going back, everything on the menu sounded so good it was hard to limit myself. read more

We went to Hoover's in East Austin on Dec. 27th, 2018 at 4pm. My out-of-state guest wanted a real Texas chicken fried steak. I thought this might be the place, though I had not yet tried Hoover's. We left very disappointed. It just wasn't worth the 30 minute drive in traffic, the $50 bucks plus tip for three people - no drinks or appetizers, or the cringe-worthy bad service. It took an hour and a half from the time we sat down to the time we received our check. BUT, it only took ten minutes for our food to come out once we ordered. Our waiter was extremely slow and also rude. I didn't get the extra lemons I requested for our waters, the coffee I ordered before our meal never came, he didn't check in with us. In fact, he told us at the beginning when I asked for extra lemons to keep our requests to a minimum because he was busy then said, "I'm joking." However, I don't think so. The crazy part is the place was not busy! There were nine tables - most of them parties of two. Maybe one party of four. There were two waiters and a few guys behind the bar that weren't doing anything. You could hear a pin drop, it was so quiet. It was a sad, strange, boring vibe in there. We had waited so long for everything (except the food) that we became frustrated at the end when our waiter wouldn't bring our check. We decided to walk toward the front thinking there may be a cashier somewhere to help us. The waiter quickly appeared with a couple salads in his hands for another table, and harshly told us, "You need to go back to your table! Go back!" I was with my elderly mother and my teenage son whom has autism. We were not about to "get told" by this guy. I was appalled. I told my mother to take my son out, and I would meet them ASAP. I didn't "go back". The jerk finally checked me out at the front register by the entrance. The cfs was pretty good, so I gave two stars. The meatloaf was horrible - covered in tomatoes and sauce and too spicy. The sides were good. We ordered a dessert to go (yes, it took forever to get it) - pecan bread pudding. This was not bread pudding. It was cake-y. One of the kids at home tried it and said it tastes like something your parents would force you to eat for dinner. It tastes like bad sweet potatoes to me. Ugh! Don't waste your time here. Pic of "bread pudding" included. read more

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

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Best chicken fried steak I in town. Comes with three sides instead of the usual two at most places.

The food was adequate. We were charged $3 for splitting an entree. The fee was not posted on the menu or told to us by there waiter. The waiter asked if we were going to split, and if we wanted an extra plate. We said yes. He brought out an extra plate, and we split it ourselves, which is fine. We also ordered a margarita, an appetizer, and two desserts. The total bill was $40+3 for splitting an entree. We weren't going cheap, and taking up space in their restaurant, and the kitchen didn't do any extra work. We paid the $3, but we're not going back. If $40 plus a 20% tip for two people isn't enough for this restaurant, there's plenty of other restaurants that will be happy to take our money. read more

I have tried to give this place a couple of opportunities since I have heard many great things about it. The food here is just not good and the only thing that has any flavor is the jerk chicken. The side salad never seems to have fresh tomatoes in it, the veggies taste to be out of a can with no seasoning, all other house mates are flavorless. I have tried the Jerk Chicken, Meatloaf, Fried Catfish, Backyard Burger and the Chicken Fried Steak. Not sure if at one point in time this place was good since it has a bunch of history but I simply do not see it. This is NOT southern cooking and more like cafeteria style flavors. 2 stars for a diverse menu but that's about it. read more

I was really looking forward to their Meats & Three but on Sundays they don't offer them. I was a little disappointed at first but I was going to get the fried catfish and it is on the standard menu anyways. The only difference was I'd only get two sides. Turns out this was not a problem, the portions were huge, Texas sized if you will (I find this a recurring theme 'round these parts). I couldn't decide on the sides because they had so many that looked amazing, after trying the Cajun Coleslaw and the Garlic Grits (both good) I ended up going with the French Fries and Mac & Cheese (my staples). Every single thing that I put in my mouth here was tremendous. The only thing I wish was that I had a bigger stomach, because they give you so much food. I saw everyone leaving the restaurant with doggy bags as I entered and I thought it was strange...now I understand. First my waiter brought me a great jalapeno cornbread and the most amazing sweet potato roll, straight from the oven. Either of these with butter and honey was sensational. The mac & cheese was one of the best I've ever had, the pasta was perfect and the cheese was fantastic, one thing that was great was that it was not overly salty which is very typical of mac & cheese. The french fries were also amazing, cooked perfectly. The catfish was awesome. I haven't tried fried catfish much, maybe not ever, but this was really good. I asked for some of their BBQ sauce and the waiter brought me their Jerk BBQ Sauce, make sure you do the same, it's amazing and went well with the catfish. The food here is of the utmost quality and freshness. You can tell Hoover (his actual name) loves cooking for people and instills this in his kitchen. I have a more in-depth review and photos on my personal blog. read more

Man, there is almost nothing better than butter. Hoover's knows that people will eat vegetables smothered in butter. They have a tuna burger on chalkboard every Friday lunch. I'm addicted. Sometimes I marvel at how inept the service is. On my last visit, it was awesome. Shocking!!! Despite the spotty service, this is great hangover, go back to bed food... And the bloody marys are delicious. They are so strong they're pink... read more

Hoover's fried chicken is best that I have EVER had. The chicken was fresh, moist and flavorful. I don't know what Hoover uses for seasonings but it's delicious! They also offer a variety of sides such as Cowboy beans, fried okra, fresh coleslaw, corn on the cob, etc... Easy to pick up on the way home or stay and eat at a picnic table out front. Located across the street from Hoover's Cooking at 2021 Manor Rd. read more

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We were in Austin for a college visit and remembered seeing Hoover's Cooking on Diners, Diners and Dives. It took a while for the server to get to us even though we came in immediately as they opened. We decided to split the chicken fried steak meal, so they charged us $2.00 fee. The meal came out fast, but I've had better steak, but the sides were awesome. After I got the check, they added another "comm value" fee but it wasn't explained...this COVID crap is annoying that restaurants keep adding fees. So, the two of us ate for $25. I won't be back if I'm in the area. After leaving the restaurant, both me and my daughter found bleach stains on our shirts...must have been in the restroom counter, it reeked of a bleach cleaning solution. Now I've got two ruined shirts. read more