I'm from Cali and my manager highly recommended this spot so I came with really high expectations. I ordered the BBQ chicken, mac n cheese, collard greens, fried okra, and peach cobbler. BBQ chicken was really, really good. Smoked, tender and the sauce was yummy. Thats going to be about it for me. The mac n cheese was screaming for salt and I expected it to be nicely baked, it wasn't. The collard greens tasted fine but they wasn't as tender as they should be if cooked right and really needed to be cut smaller. I felt like the portion size of the greens was small too, like 3 bites. The fried okra didn't taste fresh for me and they need to start all the way over on the peach cobbler my goodness. Now mind you, I am from Alabama and have a really high palate for soul/southern food and no one will ever make better collard greens than my momma. The staple sides I had need some work though especially for that price point. On top of that they added an automatic 20% surcharge to our ticket. I do realize the food industry is hard hit but let the customers know BEFORE we take the time to order and see this at the end when we pay. We spent 15 mins ordering online and was too hungry to find another spot. Encourage tips maybe or do a good job on the food and we will frequent you more, not adding automatically to our expense. We broke too! Ughhh pet peeve of mine is companies and their surcharges nowadays... surcharging us to death. I tip 20-25% on a regular but will turn my nose up at a surcharge... read more

Not like before is probably "NOT" the best way to start a review, but it's truthful. I used to eat at Hoover's several times a year before the pandemic, and I loved the homestyle cooking and atmosphere. But this time was different and wasn't the best experience. We ordered from the front, took a number, and then went into the dining room to find a place to sit. There was just one other table full of people in the space. From its looks, there were two people waiting tables and a food runner. A guy brought our drinks but lacked heavily in personality, and just kind of dropped them off. Our order came out pretty quickly, but the food tasted bland. We both had a chicken fried steak with homemade sides, and my order was about 60% breading with a tiny portion of actual steak right in the middle. Her order was fine. The rolls brought out were cold and hard, and I had to ask for butter. I pre-ordered dessert, but it didn't come out when we finished eating. We each tried to flag down someone but failed, and I ended up having to go back up front to the cashier to get my dessert. We shared the banana pudding, which was also bland and had minimal banana flavor or bananas. Our glasses sat halfway full through most of the meal and then empty before dessert. I finally flagged down someone for a refill. Like I stated above, it was not my normal experience of past visits, and I almost always left feeling overly full, but this time, I ate a sandwich when I got home. I hope this was a one-time occurrence and just a really off night as I'd hate to cross Hoover's off my favorites list. I'll try them again in a few months. read more

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

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

See all

Ok. I'm sad. I read reviews. I had friends highly recommend this place. I was prepared to be blown away. I was hoping this place was all that they said it was. None of that happened. The place was kind of busy. It was clean and promising looking. The service was decent. No harm no foul. The drinks were so so. Nothing extra. The chicken wings were very spicy and didn't seem to be anything special. I hate to say it but they tasted like they had been reheated. Not a win. I ordered the jerk ribs with greens, Mac and jalapeño creamed spinach. The ribs were cold and tasted like liquid smoke. I couldn't even eat them. They were awful. The sides were lukewarm and the greens were to sweet. Yes I said sweet. The ginger roll in the bread basket needed to be thrown out. We also ordered the fried pork chop. It came out hot and delicious but again the sides disappointed. For $70 we had a meal that we both would regret. Several other patrons seemed happy and enjoying their meals. I won't return. Too many choices. Maybe at one time the Hoover was the place to go but sadly I can't recommend it. read more

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

Hoover's! After attending a three day conference we were ready to relax for our long weekend in ATX! This spot was close to our bnb and we wanted something reasonably priced, and a place that served drinks. I ordered first the appetizer of Hoover's queso and added salsa. Bomb ass chips and queso- y'all know what y'all are doing honey! My first margarita was way too salty which was my bad because I forgot to say no salt. Anywho it was fixed right away for me with no issue. For my meal I ordered the fried fish poboy with a side of mac & cheese and let me tell y'all! Fish was SO good, fresh, and piping hot! The mac & cheese was bland but there is nothing a lil salt and pep won't do for you. I took one bite of the fish and carried the rest home. After putting the fish in the oven it was still fresh, good, and piping hot of course. That bread!!!! WHEW! That bread was soOoOO good y'all! Go try the poboy. Great customer service too! read more

See all

I was in Austin on a business trip & was craving chicken fried steak! Researched reviews & chose Hoover's based upon pics & location. It was just o.k. The service was excellent. The people are very friendly. I was not so impressed with the food. I ordered a house salad, Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, fried okra & jalapeño spinach. The salad was very small but fresh and tasted good. I didn't much care for the spinach & was wishing I had gotten something else. Mashed potatoes & gravy were great. My biggest disappointment was the main attraction-the chicken fried steak. It was more bread than steak. Not that there was too much breading it was that the steak was very thin. Somewhat disappointed. If the food had been better I would have probably ordered dessert but was able to resist! read more

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

Hoover's Cooking has been around in Austin for quite some time. I hadn't been prior but kept hearing I needed to go. I honestly was disappointed as the food was underwhelming and bland. I was contemplating giving 3 stars because the flavors just weren't there. The fried chicken was pretty good but the hot chicken wasn't hot chicken- it was just smothered in a bbq sauce. The Mac and cheese wasn't cheesy. Overall pretty bummed, friendly staff though and the pies did look good. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Hot chicken sandwich - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

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

Stopped here on the way to Bass Concert Hall. Very easy drive to the San Jac parking garage. Chicken was great with green beans and yams. Huge portions. Waiter put my veggies on the wrong plate but was very happy to correct the problem. They have a refrigerated self serve with dedicated parking so easy to grab a snack and run. read more

I love Hoover's, especially now that other southern food places have closed (RIP Shady Grove and Threadgills). The chicken fried steak and pies are delicious, but it's all about the sides and veggies for me. SO good!!! This place has a warm atmosphere, friendly staff, sweet tea and amazing food. read more

So I see why reviews are mixed. Staff is friendly enough for sure. Our server changed after we were seated which impacted my rating. The overpowering cigarette smoke smell on the new server had me sick. I am allergic to it so my dining experience was hampered from that point. He also could not answer our menu questions. We wanted wings but were trying to decide on a flavor since they were out of the lemonade lemon pepper that I wanted. The server couldnt tell us the difference in flavor profile so we guessed and settled on piri piri. They were great! They were so flavorful and just the right hint of spice. Definitely the mid-spicy choice. Several servers dropped by to provide assistance throughout our dining ordeal. They were really sweet but the smoke smell let me know it was time to go. Their efforts led to a 4 review. My husband wouldn't leave without dessert so we ordered sweet potato praline cheesecake to go. Well it didnt go. After one taste, we sat still until my husband devoured the whole slice. The dessert was worth the saga. Loved the menu so will try this spot again and hope for a better server. read more

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

Came in here for brunch prior to leaving home for Houston based on a friend's recommendation. I was pretty excited to learn that they offered chicken and waffles; but after looking at the menu, I opted to order the chicken and (pan)cakes instead. I got to choose two types of pancakes so I went with a blueberry pancake (my favorite kind) and a banana nut pancake. Although this was brunch time, I decided not to order a bloody Mary or a mimosa because I had been drinking pretty hard over the weekend so I went with something more homey - a homemade lemonade. For $3.25 they give you a small pitcher of lemonade with one free refill. This is a great deal even compared to the bottomless lemonade that you'd find at a Red Robin for $5. Why? Because even that one small pitcher will fill you up. I didn't even need a refill. The food didn't take too long to come out. And I have to say that the fried chicken that came with my pancakes were delicious! Nothing fancy about the presentation or anything but flavor wise, my tongue was disco dancing chowing down them chicken! As for the pancakes, the banana nut pancake was the surprise winner! Blueberry pancakes are my all-time favorite pancakes but for whatever reason, the banana nut won me over here at Hoover's! Our server was a cute waitress who was on top of her game. Constantly checking in on us, making sure that we had everything we needed. She was friendly and at the end of our dining experience, she had no issues splitting the check. Overall an excellent experience. As for that one extra star? Serve your pancakes with REAL maple syrup, then I'll revisit. read more

See all

East ATX institution for soup food and down home cooking...great desserts, take out, or sit down options. The portions are huge and have plenty sweets to go! read more

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

Dined here on July 4th to celebrate a friends birthday. Service was impeccable; having our server, the manager and another staff member dropping by our table. The chicken fried chicken was great. All of the sides were lovely. The burger tasted so good I swear my brother was on the grill in the back. PERFECTION! The bread pudding was disappointing but my friend loved her blackberry cobbler. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken - fried Chicken Breast, Cheese Burger, fries, yams, greens and Mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ambience : Not much of a cleanly maintained place . No hand soap in the restroom. Waiting is not applicable (always table available), you can find a seat any given time . I Did not visit this place with an expectation of great ambience since I was looking for some local treasure in the city. Not to be judged by the online reviews . But this place fits in with the reviews so far :( Service : Good. They will give you time to read the menu. The food does reflect the yelp images . Waiter do recommend some options . The waiter amigo is really nice compared to other staff. Food quality : is really spot on for the price paid . You get meat and three sides under twenty dollars with cinnamon bun. But the size of the portion is filling and tasted delicious . read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken breast with wing , rice , beans , spinach - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

They advertise thanksgiving dinner for takeout, but it's impossible to order online I have attempted numerous times over the last 10 days to place an order for my family. I have been unsuccessful and have called the establishment on three separate occasions, and no one has offered to simply take my order over the phone or go look at the website and see for themselves. This is highly frustrating and what made it more frustrating is when I called and received no assistance not once, not twice but three times. This experience has totally left me drained and having to look at other options. What a joke. I will give no stars, but the system won't let me do that. read more

The experience: the staff was amazing. Extremely polite and prompt with any request The food: The food came out prompt and was very good! Overall a very good experience will be back! read more

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

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

Five, four, and four, 3...5 stars for my fabulous fried Okra, not greasy, not slimy, perfectly coated and fried, beautiful color. Really the BEST fried Okra I have had for a long while. 4 for the delicious fried chicken, crispy (a couple parts burned a bit/over cooked on the outside) skin, juicy and inspiring, I inhaled the three pieces dark meat. Four stars too for the fried cat fish which was outstanding. Then sadly 3-stars for the greens, not sure what happened there, and the sad corn something (bread or muffin, not sure). All in all a great meal for the money. Happy I went and tried it. read more

Very average Southern Chicken Fried Steak, okra&tomatoes, fried okra and mustard greens. Average is not bad but it is also not a destination. Staff are very friendly, and iced tea is sweet and plentiful :) read more

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

Hoovers. Probably the closest you are going to get to "Soul Food" in the Austin area. I have heard of a couple of other places, but I definitely think Hoovers is great for what they serve without being too overpriced. Each time I have been there it is consistently good. I typically get the Jerk Chicken, it is smoked, so it has that charred taste that is TO DIE FOR. The tangy BBQ sauce that comes with it is divine. (No seriously, my dog ripped through my to go container to get to the rest of it!) I will have to say that when it comes to their sides, they can do better. The greens are obviously canned. Which I HATE. Do not can my veggies. Like EVER. Also, the mac n cheese was totally pre packaged. The sides definitely let me down. And they have before as well. I just don't think Hoovers places their focus on the sides. That is fine by me. I will be back to try the catfish next time, but I will probably just get the yams for my side.. or may rice? I don't know but you should totally check it out and see what you think! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Jerk Chicken with Yams, Collard Greens, and Mac n Cheese - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Soooooo... our server Aaron was great and very knowledgeable about the menu. Ask for him if you go. The Ambiance: tables are covered in red vinyl its a barn house decor-ish. Wooden chairs and local art displayed adds to the background. The Food: Bland and undone. My friend ordered pork and it was still bleeding. I ordered the catfish IT WAS BLAND, BLAND BLAND!!!! Just gentrified no seasoning all over the place. Don't expect hot sauce (franks, crystals, louisiana, you know real hot sauce). No hot sauce at all. I am new to Austin and saw this place online decided to give it a try. I should have stayed home. Save your money. Oh and the bar has a poor selection as well. But on the upside the well shots are only $4.00. Thank you but no thank you. Pass this place on by and make a trip to Rolling Rooster. Save yourself the trip. read more

See all

We have been to Hoover's so many times since it opened 20+ years ago. The staff is always welcoming, the food a great mix of southern comfort and bbq, and the margaritas some of the best (and most potent) in town. One of our all-time favorites. Thank you Hoover Alexander and crew for the many wonderful times in the past and to come! read more

Hoover's stands firmly rooted in tradition, feeling like a bit of solid ground amidst the currents of Austin's fast-moving restaurant scene. The food is simple and honest, seldom transcendent but with a strong sense of place, situated figuratively and literally at the far Western edge of deep-South comfort food's native range. At such a frontier you might expect classic Southern dishes to meet up with local Texas style BBQ, a hint of Tex-Mex, and some flavors from neighboring Louisiana. That's what you'll find at Hoover's. If you're a native you'll find this mix familiar. If you're visiting you'll get an idea of how these culinary traditions intersect. The mini-mall digs and dining room are not much to look at but the vibe shines through. There's always a daily special and plenty of rotating dessert offerings on the chalkboard. As a bonus, owner Hoover Alexander is a good guy, active in the community and strongly supportive of his employees. Austin has recently lost some iconic restaurants that embodied the city's culinary history (Threadgill's, The Frisco, et al). Hoover's is a worthy bearer of that legacy. read more

A good southern comatose-state inducing meal. The cornbread isn't really sweet but I put honey on it.

Just as advertised on one of those TV shows that highlighted this place. The chicken fried steak did not disappoint. Expect a bit of a wait and challenge if parking so better to arrive a few minutes before it opens. I had tried at 11:30 am.on a Friday and it was packed and no place to park. Went on Sunday but arrived a bit before opening time which is 11 am and no wait, and able to park right up front read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried steak (2 cutlet) with fried okra and potatoes salad. Doggie bag needed as the portions are plenty. - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've heard this was a must-try for homestyle food here in the Austin, so my bf and I decided to try it via Doordash - it did not disappoint! I ordered the fried chicken breast (sides were macaroni & cheese, coleslaw, and a salad which I didn't even touch the rest of the food was SO good!) My boyfriend got the jerk chicken (not too juicy, but not dry, just perfectly cooked and smoky, I had a sample) along with the jalapeño creamed spinach (also sampled, I don't really like creamed spinach, but ya'll, this was GOOD), and candied yams. We also shared a spinach dip appetizer and were pleasantly surprised when we opened up our bag and found that they had kindly included 2 little cornbread muffins, 2 cinnamon biscuit/cookies, and a couple pieces of toast. (They hooked it up!) Even though we ordered through delivery and haven't stepped foot in the restaurant yet, we can definitely tell this is the kind of local business that cares about their customers. We'll definitely be back whenever we're craving some southern comfort food! read more

Well, I really wanted to like it because it was on a list of established Austin yummy places. It was not. Yummy, that is The catfish etoufee was full of Sriracha, which was surprising and not like any etoufee I've had before. It was not yummy. The butter beans were good. The salad was simple and the honey mustard was good. The buttermilk pie was inedible. The crust was stale, and the custard was weeping in the bowl in which they served it ( why a bowl?). I love a greasy spoon, but it felt like they'd given up on quality. Made me sad. read more

I was really excited to try this place because we heard some good things about it but the food was so disappointing. We ordered chips and queso for our starter and the cheese must've been expired because it started separating, not to mention the lack of taste and the tortilla chips were stale. I ordered the quesadilla and it was okay but the sour cream was definitely spoiled because it tasted SOUR. My friends also disliked their food as in one of their sandwiches, there was a gray spot in her chicken patty and after that point, we couldn't eat anymore and left. read more

WHAT WE ORDERED Fried catfish with cole slaw, fries, jalapeno creamed spinach 4 veg plate with butter beans, carrots, jalapeno creamed spinch, black-eyed peas WHAT WE GOT (45 minutes later) Fried catfish with fries 2 sides of squash 2 sides of black-eyed peas 1 side each of butter beans & jalapeno creamed spinach We had a curtain to make and frantically had to change the order to takeout when it finally appeared, and didn't see what we'd gotten for 3 hours. One of us is vegetarian. That made "dinner" cold french fries and squash. C'mon, Hoover's--we've been eating at your place for years. This isn't worthy of you. read more

My hubby thought it would be good to go for southern comfort food on a cold night. We have eaten here many times. I knew going there with my egg allergy was going to be interesting but heck, mashed potatoes! Hubby got chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes ( for me) fried okra. I took the safe burger. I forgot to say no Mayo, but the burger was dry, tepid, and tasted of charcoal. I did not get the side I ordered. I ate it because I was hungry. I suppose when it's game day again I will see Hoovers full of burnt orange. But I'm done for there's other choices, like HEB carry out. They don't mess up mashed potatoes. read more

The catfish and the butter beans are delicious. Southern cozy atmosphere . Service was friendly and cordial

Great chicken fried steak and meatloaf!!! Sides were incredible! We will definitely be back

This was my 1st time going to eat here and it's definitely my last , the side were okay . I ordered a chicken fried steak and it was horrible , I couldn't even cut it with my fork and so I broke it in half with my hands and the meat smelled horrible. I was totally disappointed... read more

I asked the guide at the Visitor Center for a place that had good soul food and he recommended this place. This was not a place that had good soul food. I almost left when I didn't see any people who know how to cook soul food working there. Famous for their fried chicken I was told. It was ok, the best thing I had was the fried okra. The macaroni was a tad above Kraft. Kevin our waiter was nice. Service was quick. read more

My husband ordered this for me and my first impression was these look pretty thick for a Quesadilla. After that first bite, I was hooked. This is by far the best quesadilla I have ever tasted! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

FYI: Michelle Obama comes here when she's in town. So I came in since it was close to my house. Well I'm glad I did! The jerk chicken was sweet and then spicy and so so tender. The Jerk Sauce & BBQ sauce are made in house (along with everything except fries and okra) and never had sauces packed with so much flavor. This made me incredibly happy. The cowboy beans are so freaking good, packed with brisket, bacon, and beans. The buttered carrots weren't insane but good! This spot deserves more recognition and highly recommend the margs! Managers: 1. turn the music up a little more, I can hear everything in the back! 2. Start bottling your BBQ and jerk sauce...they are INSANE read more

Hoover's Cooking - Jerk chicken with cowboy beans and Buttered Carrots - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Delicious! Order the sweet potato cheesecake for dessert it's awesome. I love how friendly the staff is and the owner truly cares about his customers and the food that comes out. It's definitely a legendary spot in East Austin! Thanks Hoover! We love you and your cooking! read more

I have not had soul food in years, so I was really looking forward to Hoovers as I have heard good things about them. However, while the staff is really nice, the restaurant is in need of a major renovation and the food was just ok. We dined on the chicken fried steak, the daily special of fried chicken, fried catfish, cornbread dressing, mac & cheese and dinner salads. Out of the meats, the fried catfish was the best. It was lightly breaded and fried and it was not greasy at all. The mac was pretty decent, but nothing that wowed me, the dressing was just ok and the salads were bland. read more

Good food. Great service ! Ribs were right on point, sausage was a bit dry but tasted really good. Sides were really good too (specially the cowboy beans). Drinks are good and huge (and you get one free refill). The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Will definitely go back to this place if I am in Austin again! read more

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