This was some fantastic country cooking. We came here for breakfast and had a difficult time trying to order. We ended up ordering fried chicken with sweet potato pancakes and fried catfish with eggs and a biscuit. I do not want to forget the incredible garlic cheese grits--they were perfect. My catfish ended up being chicken strips but honestly they were delicious. Austin has a good thing going with this restaurant. One odd thing? They serve RC cola products! read more

Meh. I had high expectations for this place based on some of the other reviews but it was nothing special. My boyfriend and I arrived at 7pm on a Friday night and the restaurant was relatively full, but we didn't have to wait at all to be seated. I ordered the fried catfish and three sides: fried okra, jalapeno creamed spinach, and mac and cheese. The catfish was tasty, but the sides left a bit to be desired and were cold. I know most of this stuff is precooked but you gotta at least warm it up before you serve it to me. Also the complimentary cornbread that came out before the meal tasted a bit freezer burned. All in all there a multitude of other places in Austin that you could find better quality Texas-style/southern food. read more

Hoover's used to be on my short list of my favorite restaurants in the world. I lived close by once upon a time and used to eat here about once a week (so much so that Hoover would give me the "knowing nod" on occasion, and Kenny the bartender would know me and my to-go order by the sound of my voice). The food used to be consistently stellar, with only slight disappointments in the mac-n-cheese (A- instead of A+) when Hoover himself wasn't in the kitchen. These days I live further away so I don't make it into Hoover's very often. After having not been to Hoover's in about a year, my cousins were visiting from England and Hoover's was on the list of restaurants that I wanted them to try. We went in for lunch on a weekday at about 2:00 p.m. after the lunch crowd had already passed (to the extent they still get a crowd at lunch). The chicken fried steak was not the massive tender beast I remember, but, instead, had a halo of fry batter, with a smallish steak that was pretty toothsome. The jerk chicken that I touted to my cousins was decent, but not the moist tender succulent bird that I remember. The jalapeno cream spinach wasn't hot (temperature or spice) and lacked vibrancy. The mac-n-cheese was gritty and mediocre and not the creamy cheesy dream that I remember when Hoover was in the house. The lemonade pitcher though did still delight. My English cousins were clearly miffed why I was making such a fuss of this place and wasted one of their meals in Austin on something merely "OK". I think things were better when you only got two "mates" (sides for you Hoover's amateurs), and the portions were bigger (hence the split-plate fee to be strictly enforced). Hoover's is an Austin institution but I hope it hasn't become institutionalized and complacent in its cooking. I will be back for sure, hopefully to audit their dinner scene when the "A team" should be in the kitchen. I hope the cooking of Hoover's cir. 2001 is still there to shine. For now, I won't recommend Hoover's as a "must try" place until I have further vetted it out. read more

Really excellent home style cooking, the greens are the best, and I mean, who orders greens at a restaurant, for real, except at Hoovers? The porkchops are manna from heaven. We've only had one bad experience, the wait staff can hostess can get downright surly. The guy that looks like Tom Waits, normally friendly, forgot we ordered desert and every time we tried to flag him down got more and more hostile, thinking we were squatting on his table eating his tipson a friday night for another ice tea refill, and aggressively ignoring us, until I finally had to shout at him, calling out his name "WHERE's that DESSERT we ordered?" But that was a one-off, don't let it run you off, this is great food. Them sweet ptater biscuits are to die for read more

Hoovers provided the food for our wedding and the food was outstanding. Like. Unbelievable. It was super important that our food taste amazing but be affordable. Skip, the catering manager was incredibly patient through our thousands of questions and the food blew us away. We got some many compliments. Also, SO MUCH FOOD. we ate leftovers for the next week and could have made it go on for another week or two. Hire hoovers, you wont be disappointed read more

I wish i would have read the reviews. Paid almost $50 and the food was very, very bland. Don't get the catfish it was not seasoned. I think they use cornmeal and flour. The potato salad had Hugh potatoes. There not cute up The 10 birder was a little piece of meat and a big bun the French fries were cold when i went to the car and soggy. They have been sitting out for a while Don't get the fillet catfish because you have to ask for it and they have to check. I had to pay $2 extra and the fillet was tiny. Very disappointed. When they first opened they were good. Not for sure what happened. It this not southern food. It bland Try a touch of soul for good fish or Mr. Catfish. Go to short stop, you will get a better burger and cheaper. read more

I've tried Hoover's twice. I really wanted to be all "I freakin *heart* this place!" but i can't. I'm all for greasy food, especially when you are severely hungover. Really, it's the best hangover cure. I also love seeing all the old ladies in really extravagant church hats (Where do they even buy those??). One of the waitstaff is a client of mine as well and i love her. The food, though, is meh. Almost too greasy. There's hardly any seasoning on the breading. And WAAAAY too much of it is served. I have yet to find a dish that i was in love with, really. It's just so bland. To be honest, my mama makes better pork chops and chicken fried steak, but then mama's cooking is always better, even if it's just hamburger helper. I have a real beef with the fact that a southern comfort food place does *not* serve fried chicken. Really? Why not? If Top Notch can make it, why can't they? I'll wait 25 minutes while it cooks, if it's good. I'll still go back there. The food is good enough for repeat visits, but would I ever be in a frenzy to eat there again? Will i ever go "DAMN! I wants some HOOVER'S! NOW!"? Nope. read more

Chicken Fried Steak done right. I got mine with french fries and fried okra. Nothing wrong with three fried things on a plate, right???? Our waitress gave me my Arnold Palmer refill in a to-go cup. Score! BTW, the Arnold Palmer is basically served to you in a pitcher. WUT. read more

I guess if you're not use to eating good comfort food or as another reviewer stated "soul food". You would like Hoover's. But when you grow up on the stuff. This is not the place to scratch that itch. The pork chops needed gravy because they where dry. The cat fish was over cooked. One good thing about them is the portions are large. I'll stick to my own home cooked soul food and leave this place for the amateurs. read more

When I'm forced to visit TX against my will - in JULY - I better be able to eat some Chicken Fried Steak. After eating California Cuisine (FYI...I'm from CA...I don't need to travel a couple thousand miles to eat the cuisine...thankyouverymuch) one night and being dragged to the worst restaurant on the planet -- The Oasis (Yeah...to watch a sunset...over water. Did I mention I live 10 miles from the ocean? I don't need to watch the sun set over a man made lake.) -- I was DESPERATE for some Southern food. Luckily, Hoover's delivered the goods...and more. I only wish my stomach was bigger, so I could have put some more food in there! The CFS was perfect with a delectable crust. The mashed potatoes had the skins on and were buried in more gravy. The black eyed peas were saucy with bacon. The dessert options were overwhelming -- cobblers galore and Sweet Potato Pie. I went with the Blackberry cobbler and one of my dining partners had the sweet potato pie. Both were DELICIOUS. I also had the fresh lemonade, which came in a mini pitcher -- enough for 4 people. I stuffed myself to the gills and had to follow up with some Rolaids -- you know it's a good meal when that happens. I wish I could go back and have the catfish. read more

I am a HUGE fan of Hoover's. I find myself craving southern comfort food quite often and never have a "go to" place in mind to satisfy that craving....but I do now- FOR SURE! I took my sister and one of our friends here for lunch one Sunday when the line at Juan in a Million was way too long to wait for food. Blessing in disguise. We ordered a wide array of food off the menu so that we could share and sample more. List below with my thoughts. I think the MOST important thing to highlight is the service. Our waitress was Donna (might have been spelled with 1 "n"). She was superb and amazing. It was just like we walked in to our mother's house. She was so sweet and hospitable. We were curious about a couple of the items on the "DAILY SPECIALS" board and she was so prompt in insisting that she get us a small sample just to taste. Even if the food wasn't spectacular, I would go back often just to see Donna. Fried Catfish (Clean, Crisp, Tasty) Cherry Cobbler (AMAZING) Apple Cobbler (Just like G-ma's) Blackberry Cobbler (yummy) Garlic Cheese Grits (to die for- my first time tasting grits) Mashed Potatoes with Gravy (homestyle) Jalapeño Creamed Spinach (a MUST try) Macaroni & Cheese (Homestyle) Chicken Fried Steak (A classic) Green Chile Pablano Burger (big and tasty) Elgin Sausage Plate (Delicious) Gumbo (amazing) Man, what a list....that explains why the tab was 96bucks! WORTH EVERY PENNY! read more

This place will put weight on you because their food is so amazing. Use to ear here in college with my girlfriend. She is now my wife. Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy and collard greens. I didn't give it 4 stars cause i hate waiting to be sat. read more

Good margaritas. Excellent southern comfort food. Relishes and gravies are made in house. Casual atmosphere. My brother liked it! read more

I will most likely not be returning here. I went with a friend on Mother's Day. The wait wasn't long and the single rose for the ladies was a nice touch. That's about the only thing I liked about this place. They claimed to have soul food. Please don't be fooled. The black eyed peas were vegetarian (that is the opposite of soul food in itself being that there was no meat in it). The greens were under seasoned and under cooked. I can't comment on the Mac and cheese because they told me it would be a 30 minute wait. When I said that was fine someone else came out and told me there wasn't any left. I got the mashed potatoes and they were your regular kind you could get anywhere. The pork chop was seasoned well but they were not smothered (which should food would only come that way). Unfortunately, my friend never got her side of broccoli. The server never offered to take them off of her bill! She offered to put them in a to-go cup. I wasn't impressed with the food or the service. read more

Tried the chops, breakfasts, sausage, drinks, vegetables, and "comfort" food. I really tried to dig, but everything always tasted just a bit sour, and never made me feel like I was eating something I enjoyed. I thought three times would be a charm, but it was sadly not. From the times I have been there with the groups I have gone with, its been about 50/50, but if you go and enjoy it, rock on, go on without me! read more

Read this like 2.5 stars Backstory - Missus went out of town and ate at the location in the airport - she loved it.... so we decided to try the Manor Rd locale... Got there for a late breakfast (about an hour to go) and got seated/served immediately. For me the 2-Piece Fried Chicken w/ pancakes and blueberry topping on the side. The missus Eggs + Chicken-Fried Steak Per the missus the meat was too chewy and the batter was too much (think getting CFS the size of a quarter but the meat inside was the size of a dime in comparsion). My meal was meh - the food was not hot, the cakes were THICK and I honestly cant remember if I got a side..... it was that memorable. The chicken (dark meat) was tasty but the breast couldve been brined (a little dry) but the crust was flavorful. Our server saved the day with his humor and service - but there are too many places betwixt here and the house to try to list this as a come-back-too read more

We've had food delivered from there for over a month now. We've never been to the restaurant and thus I can't speak for the premise of the Hoover's Restaurant but the food is great. Southern cooking for sure, so make sure you have a napkin ready to wipe your lips. read more

My family NEVER drove to the east side. We preferred our north Austin bubble, devoid of any interesting food stops at the time. Then my dad discovered Hoovers. At that point in time my family could all eat at the same restaurant ( pre weird diets and eating choices for us all) and it was to Hoovers we went. I had the Chicken Fried chicken and green beans and thought it was great. This place makes me feel the same way Dot's in pflugerville does. Good food, good people. Good vibes. Ive dragged many a friend here for the fattening calorie fest that is Hoovers. I think its great ( probably because I secretly wished for a mom that cooked like hoovers did, instead of one that liked low calorie health food) and wish I lived closer so I could come more often. read more

Recently went back with some friends and would recommend the ribs. Dry rubbed with sauce on the side. Plenty of meat and super yummy. Burger is good - the bun was not your typical burger bun. Kinda sweet, which is my kinda thing. Service was great again. Lemonade and Arnold Palmers came in mini-pitchers. read more

Southern food at its best. This place is one of the places I miss most since moving to California. Despite a pretty large menu, I always end up with the chicken fried chicken....hmmm. read more

Tired this place on Friday for my husbands birthday thinking we were going to receive the best southern food of our lives but we were very disappointed. The food was very bland and lacked basic ingredients like salt and pepper. My husband and I each got the "Hoover Sized" chicken friend steak and it was terrible. It was two "cutlets" the size of school lunch salisbury steak that was overly breaded, (definitely more breading than steak; I'm guessing to make it look bigger). We got the same sides; mashed potatoes and mac and cheese both lacked flavor. The service was ok but it could definitely have been better. Over all I would say it's over priced and not worth the money spent; I did not leave feeling satisfied. read more

Hoover's is one of my all-time favorite southern food restaurants! It ranks up there with the restaurants that made Austin a place worth living for the past several decades. The ribs, fried catfish, or veggie plates will ensure you leave satisfied. Lots of choices and usually close to a dozen types of pie/cobbler available by the slice. read more

There are a ton of reviews for the place, so I don't think I'm breaking new ground here - especially since today was my first visit for lunch. Like most places that serve home-cooked food, chicken fried steak is the first thing I'm going to try. Hoover's CFS is very highly rated. You have a choice of one or two pieces of meat, and three sides (plenty to choose from). I picked mashed potatoes (must-have with CFS), green beans, and the creamed spinach. The chicken fried steak was very good. The quality of the cut of meat was good, the breading not excessive, and the flavor along with the gravy was excellent. The creamed spinach was OUTSTANDING and easily the best I've had. The mashed potatoes were good, and the green beans just OK. Overall, it was a very good lunch. My only complaint is the size of the CFS itself. Most places will serve you up a pretty big CFS. This one was more along the size of a large hamburger patty. Maybe I just had a bad day, but I thought the size of the portion was definitely underwhelming. I know I'm a big eater, but even for a normal appetite it's a bit on the small side. read more

Is it named Hoover's because it sucks? Today, I think so. The server warned us we caught them 'during a transition,' which is code for 'you should have gone somewhere else.' I felt like an interloper nestled with my friend between the kitchen and the lady's room. We waited ten minutes for water; our server eager to ignore. To call the slop we were served southern fare is an insult to the ghosts of Paula Dean. God bless her heart she may never endure such tepid ribs or feeble cheese grits. The next time I go looking for southern charm of the Hoover's variety, I'll check out the dumpster behind the Waffle House. read more

Soul food at it's best. Everything on the menu is just how you wished your mama made it. The sides are amazing. Hard to choose even just 3 for the 'veggie plate.' Margaritas are tasty. Deserts are to die for. Decor feels a bit too much like an art gallery for food w/ this much soul, but I still dig it. 5-star. One of the best eateries in Austin. read more

I've come here maybe 3 or 4 times. I always get the biscuits and gravy with the home fries and two eggs. And also a buttermilk pancake on the side. I spend maybe $10 but it is the best $10 I've spent. The biscuits and gravy are thick and hearty, with pieces of sausage mixed in. The eggs are plentiful and the home fries are thick pieces of potato cut in chunks. The orange juice is good too. The only complaint I had was maybe due to the fact that it was just about to rain, but I saw numerous bugs crawling in the building. I didn't check if they were coming from the kitchen but mainly they were in the front near the cash register. read more

This place is honestly my favorite restaurant on the East side. Delicious comfort food and great service. I've probably come here 30+ times in the last 2 or 3 years. Numerous news articles and awards given to Mr. Hoover adorn the small lobby walls. I always get the same thing: Chicken fried steak with mac n cheese, mustard greens and broccoli. It brings me back to eating delicious soul food with my mom as a kid. Friends I've brought here have raved about the jerk chicken, fried chicken and meat loaf. All of the sides are awesome and they do have a lot of delicious options for vegetarians. There are some weird reviews about this place on yelp, I don't get it. I've always had great experiences here. Yes, chicken fried steak usually shrinks when you cook it, giving you breading that is larger than the steak. Yes, sometimes the servers are busy. Before you say this place is the worst on the eastside, you should actually try everything on the Eastside. This place is a well priced comfort food kitchen, not an upscale steak house. All around, very solid and definitely needs to be on your list if you think you know everything about Austin's food scene. Its the bomb! read more

First time lunch here with the Prince. Was looking forward to feel good country cooking and Hoovers did not disappoint. The Prince got the chicken fried steak and I got the chicken fried chicken. Both very crispy and yummy. We got candied yams, jalepeno cream spinach, Mac N' cheese, and mashed potatoes. All very good. Took some home for later. Made myself a little chicken fried chicken sandwich. :) 4 stars because the food didn't leave me breathless and the service was good but not fantastic. Will be back to bring the family soon! read more

I had stayed away from Hoover's because of poor service 8 months ago. Friends of ours wanted to try and see if things had changed. The food has never been the problem. Great portions and the Bernadette are unbelievable. I have to say the service was the best I have had at any restaurant in sometime. Anderson our waiter made us feel welcome. He was funny and had great advice on food choices we asked about. Anderson is a winner and he will have us coming back soon. read more

I am so glad I found this place in my neighborhood. I've been to a few BBQ places in Austin, but so far this may be my favorite. It's not just that the food is delicious (it is, though), and that the prices are reasonable (they are, though), or that the drinks were amazing (frozen margarita- seriously), it's that the service was great (ask for Ron!) and the experience was nice. If you are looking for a great value, delicious food, and very strong drinks, this is a great choice! read more

It was my first time here I'm a vegetarian and was very surprised and happy about the options that I had available to me. The food was delicious. Also everyone working there was very friendly and helpful. read more

The hubster and I went to Hoovers for the first time last weekend. OMG. It was incredible. The chicken fried chicken was cooked to perfection. The greens were tender and tasty. The black-eyed peas were incredible. Did I mention the melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato biscuits? Add a smooth frozen margarita and caramel topped sweet potato cheesecake, and I was in heaven. I'm going to order my Thanksgiving dinner from them, too. If you'd like to see how I gained 10 lbs and enjoyed every bite, here's a photo of my meal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/almostlindy/3017503832/ read more

Hoover's Cooking - How I gained 10 lbs in one meal at Hoovers - and loved every bite. - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best gumbo in town. Yes, better than Quality Seafood and French Quarter. I'm surprised at the lack of quality cajun food in Austin considering the proximity to New Orleans and Houston. Recently discovered Hoover's gumbo. Thank fucking jesus. read more

I'll start by saying this was first time dining at Hoover's but I'm sure I'll be back.....SOON! Loved everything about my food here. I had the meatloaf (Hoover Size) along with mustard greens, butter ed beans, new garlic potatoes, fried okra, okra and tomatoes, cornbread, and jalapeño creamed spinach. I like to try everything if I can . It was all great....except the mustard greens and spinach. The greens had NO flavor and in my opinion it was due to all of the water left in them. I kept the greens but had to send the spinach back. That was how I was able to have the fried okra. Good choice hat was! The fried okra was so fresh! Overall good experience, they've gained a new regular! read more

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

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First time here. Had the chicken friend steak, with salad, fries, and mac & cheese. The salad overflowed the bowl, which made it hard to eat. Some of the lettuce looked old, but it tasted good. Main entree came before salad was done-I hate that. The entree was good, although I would have preferred more gravy. For dessert, I had chocolate bread pudding. Good, but rich. Couldn't finish it. Had an Arnold Palmer to drink-iced tea and lemonade. Good, but mostly lemonade. Service was good, not great. Waiter disappeared a couple times. Overall good, not great. Food is solid, but I wouldn't rush back. read more

My idea of heaven would be eating my way out of a giant vat of Hoover's butter beans!! :D I really love the food, although I must admit that I have had only a limited number of items from the menu. Why, you ask? Because I was absolutely hooked on the first meal I ever had there and now find it difficult to branch out! My favorite items include the chicken fried chicken, butter beans (dear god, kill me now..), and candied yams. Try this meal, and I promise you, you will having nothing but good things to say about this place. Also, don't forget to try a slice of the coconut cream pie. With its made-from-scratch crust, fluffy filling and toasted flakes on top, it is the only one I've ever had that is almost as good as my grandmother's. That's saying a lot! read more

This place is super legit. Southern cooking at its best -- the best in the entire city of Austin. Hush puppies, everything you could possibly imagine. When I think of quality Southern food in Austin, this place ranks among the best of them. read more

Ah man. I was just expecting something more. I should have known better when the parking lot is half empty at 7 on a saturday night. If I dine by myself I usually sit at the bar. I did and the bartender was very attentive. I ordered the chicken fried steak, greens, and mac and cheese. The bread basket was cold when it arrived. Cornbread had absolutely no flavor. The single serving CFS is small for this type of dish, especially for TX. Anytime I can eat 2/3 of the meat and I don't care much for meat, there's no way that would fill a grown man up, it's pretty small portion of meat. Could have just been my serving. The sides were forgettable. Had to add salt/pepper, hot sauce, whatever was there to help them out. Can't recommend it. There's too much good food in Austin to waste your time here read more

i just ordered only desserts so i can't say much about the food altogether. i went with a few of my friends late at night, right after having a sushi dinner. we ended up getting the praline bread pudding, banana bread cheesecake, peach cobbler, and the pecan pie. the moment all the desserts came out, i went straight for the praline bread pudding. the warm goodness of a dessert melted into my mouth. it was sweet and decadent. for a quick second, i thought to myself "is this real?" my favorite had to be the peach cobbler. for some reason, i expected the peach to be tart and bit hard. BUT IT WASN'T!!! (duh...) the filling was sweet, soft and the light buttery shell complimented everything. the banana bread cheesecake surprised me. the cheesecake was just OK, but the banana bread topping seemed surreal. it tasted overly fresh. it was weird, i mean, the toppings were mashed-up something that resembled nothing of a banana-- nevertheless i accepted the surprising freshness and kept eating. read more

Came here on the recommendation of a friend. I was pleased by the restaurant. It had all the things that Texas BBQ should have = Taste + Size. I am not a big fan of ribs but this place got me hooked. I literally had meat falling off the bone and I was licking my fingers to get all the sauce. read more