Went here on a whim. Best decision of the week by far!!! The staff was very friendly and helpful. I did the bbq sampler and it was super tasty! The rib was fall off the bone tender. The beefsteak could be but with a fork and was very good. Sides were fresh and hot. Speaking of hot... those hot rolls were amazing!!! I tried a little peach cobbler which was homemade and one of the servers came around and offered homemade whipped cream. OMG it was so yummy!!! The place is a cafeteria style and very clean. There is simple decor on the walls including a wall with a bunch of old rifles from back in the day which is cool. I'd definitely recommend this place (and in fact already have to the group I'm in town with right now). Thank you Underwood's for being here and making my day! read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Homemade Peach cobbler with homemade whipped cream! - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Service is 100% sweet/10 and ambiance feels like you go back in time and enjoy the best cafeteria food less than $20 can buy! All sides are unlimited and self-serve so you can choose what you like. Many more sides to choose, but ran out of space on the tray! Don't forget to ask for extra cobbler to go! read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Steak dinner Baked beans Peach cobbler Potato salad Coleslaw Unsweet tea Mashed potatoes Carrots Green beans Fresh rolls Fancy butter - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

There wasn't much Yelp reviews, although Google had a good chunk. I will say after reading the mixed reviews I was very hesitant. But overall it was a pretty good meal and the cafeteria style made it very cozy and super casual. The staff were super friendly and helpful. Several times through the meal you had people walking by filling our drinks, offering us fresh homemade whipped cream and even passing out buns that just came out fresh from the oven. Now on to the food. The BBQ beef steak I was told was their most popular item aside the chicken fried steak. The beef steak was tender and flavorful but please don't expect anything besides an upgraded hospital cafeteria meal. The ribs were ok, definitely had better elsewhere but again I wasnt expecting omg this is amazing, it was overall like buffet quality. Now the catfish, that was something I was super skeptical at. But luckily I bit the bullet and ordered it. They were actually making a fresh batch so maybe that's the reason why it was extra yummy. The fish was flakey, moist, and perfectly cooked. It wasn't tough and after reheating it and eating it another day, it was still good. This was really a cool spot to have a family meal and it's pretty nostalgic for me as it reminds me of how on Wednesdays my mom would take us all out to have dinner at the local buffet in town because kids got to eat for free. read more

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A quaint good old fashioned cafeteria with a a moving paddle wheel out front. One server takes your entree selection and puts it on a plate for you. Today there were six selections including St. Louis BBQ Ribs, Chicken Fried Steak, and Fried Chicken which they have every day. They have fish on Fridays and shrimp on Mondays. The rest of the food is buffet style meaning you serve yourself. I like it this way better because I don't eat large portions and I don't like to waste food. For desserts they offered three varieties of cobbler, peach, cherry and apple. I have never seen three kinds offered at once and cherry cobbler is very rare in restaurants. I went with the ribs, green beans, corn, and the cherry cobbler. All of the food tasted great. They have rover that will come by your table to pick up your tray and offer you home made whipped cream. I'm positive I'll be back soon. This is a nice surprise. read more

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Visited Underwood's in Brownwood Texas and it did not disappoint. It brought back the m memories of eating at Underwood's as a child. Still taste the same. It was well worth the trip. And the workers there were just great. And the restaurant was very nice. My family as well satisfied. read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Sliced beef and beans and potato salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Do Not go here expecting Texas BBQ. They don't sell brisket!! What they call a barbecued steak is a thin slice of tough beef with sauce on it. They sell chicken halves with BBQ sauce on them. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a Texas BBQ restaurant. read more

This isn't standard Texas barbecue. It's barbecue from the 1950s, and it's unique, relying more on sauces than a true smoked flavor. And it's great. The beefsteak cuts with a fork, and is flavorful. The pinto beans are heavy on chili powder, and are perfect. The orange-colored potato salad is different and tastes way better than the normal stuff. The rolls are warm and yeasty, and the cobblers have a buttery crust that you don't see much anymore. I make it to Brownwood only once or twice a year, and I stop at Underwood's every time. read more

We used to go to the Waco location all the time and I cried when they closed. Brownwood was a destination trip from Austin JUST to eat at Underwood's again. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to our memories this time and I won't be coming back again read more

Honestly delicious, big portions and cozy dining room. Felt very taken care of and a great meal on our road trip!

The best place to stop for home cooking goods in the whole city. Great value for the amount and quality of food you get. Super friendly staff work here also. Never leave here less than full. read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Roasted chicken dinner plus sides. $16 - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

We got takeout. The bbq is hard to beat! We will be back. The staff was both friendly and nice.

I've heard people rave about this food. I'm not sure why. The food has no flavor, the portions are small and the price is ridiculous!! I'll give 1 star for friendly staff and cleanliness. I do not recommend. read more

We always travel from Austin to lubbock for family. On the way we stop by here everytime to get the cobbler. This time coming back from lubbock we got the bbq sampler. We were really excited to try their bbq. We get to austin couple ours later and opened up the lid... so disappointed. I mean if this is brisket it's old old old. This is so sad and disgusting. I wish I can drive back to get a refund. I mean 70$ for the meal plus 2 cobblers read more

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Came here as we were passing through town after a recommendation from family. Reviews were good and there was lots of talk about the bread. We were the first ones in after a lull and were warmly greeted by the staff. The food line was smaller than I imagined with two types of half chicken, (BBQ & baked) ribs, a very dry looking BBQ steak, and some fried chicken. We chosen the small order of ribs , a half BBQ chicken and a chicken wing. The sides were the corn, mashed potatoes and gravy and an oddly colored potato salad. I also got some cherry cobbler. Oh and we grabbed some dinner rolls. The ribs were tender and thoroughly enjoyed. My BBQ chicken was tasty with the dark meat more flavorful than the breast meat. The chicken wing was also very good. The mashed potatoes and gravy were delicious! The corn was flavorless and the potato salad was good. Of course, the star were the delicious, soft, hot and melt in your mouth dinner rolls. Honestly, pace yourself because it's reeeeal easy to down 5-6 of these before you start your meal...they are that good. They even have one of the workers walking through the restaurant with rolls Asking if you want more... oh heck yeah!! All in all, it's decent food for cafeteria style. The friendly workers and the rolls are enough the bring me back with the text of my family.... The one negative thing is the dirtiness of the bathroom. Honestly, it's time for a serious deep deep deep clean !! I've been inside sketchy gas station bathrooms that were cleaner and smelled less of urine. read more

Like going back in time, in a good way. Reminds me of the cafeterias that were everywhere across the South. They are hard to find these days. The rolls are fantastic. read more

Underwood's Cafeteria is a true American treasure. Choose a meat and then load up with all the fixin's. Plop down into a booth and go to town. My favorite part of the dining experience were the vats of cobbler. Of course, I tried them all. Peach, cherry and apple were all delicious. Antique guns and historical art pieces lined the walls of the dining rooms. Underwood's is a must visit for all who visit Brownwood! read more

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This used to be a good place to eat. Not so much anymore. I almost got choked on a small bone. There shouldn't be any on ribs. Food quality has gone downhill. Also had a sign on a door at the service island that said " don't pull yourself up by this door, YOU'RE TOO HEAVY ". read more

Great chicken! Did you know that Underwood's sells more chicken than KFC! So we'll deliver. read more

If you like your food bland aka no flavor this is the place for you save yourself the money and just go to kfc I give this place a 1 nice people though. But what does that matter when your going for the food read more

We have eaten here before passing through & it was good but not this time. It started as we walked up to the food line...no greeting ..no nothing just a teenage girl standing there waiting for us to speak first! Sat down ...had to flag down the girl with the extra rolls & there was a guy pushing a drink cart but didn't come to us until we were finished with our meal & cobbler...no whip cream for us! No service here at all. Food is mediocre at best. Not friendly. Keep driving you'll find something better. read more

I didn't grow up in the 1950s, but I've flipped through enough of my grandmother's vintage cookbooks to glean a thing or two about what food was like back then. In the 50s, perpetually grinning, petticoat-clad white women would prepare lavish home-cooked meals consisting of various fruits, vegetables, and meats enveloped in aspic. Seasonings were used sparingly, everything was coated and/or fried in "Spry," and the only milk variety was "homo." Ok, that's a gross, semi-facetious exaggeration, but food definitely wasn't adventurous back then. The American palate has since evolved, but despite our collective penchant for fresh, colorful foods and spicy ethnic cuisines, we're all suckers for old-school fare that harkens back to the halcyon days of yore, a taste of 1950s Americana. That's what I hoped to experience during a recent stop at Underwood's Cafeteria in Brownwood, Texas. Underwood's Cafeteria is conceptually similar to Luby's and Furr's, but barbecued meats and fried chicken are front and center at Underwood's. Also, unlike its competitors, *everything* is included with your choice of protein. It's an enticing premise, especially for starving, road-weary folks like my father and me. When the matronly lady behind the glass informed me that the sides and desserts were endless, I crammed a lot of everything onto my tray like a hobo at a soup kitchen. You've probably noticed my two-star designation and wondered what I disliked about the experience, but I'll get to that later. First, I'll focus on the good (actually great): "Mama Underwood's Famous Fried Chicken." The three huge pieces of fried chicken were crispy, tender, well-seasoned, and juicy throughout. If you were to blindfold me, I would probably tell you they came from Earl Abel's in San Antonio, which would be a compliment. I gnawed every morsel of meat and breading off all three pieces and left craving more. The yeasty dinner rolls were also excellent, especially when lathered in butter and honey. Were I to rate Underwood's on the quality of its fried chicken alone, then this would be a laudatory five-star review, but protein is only part of the equation. Sides are equally important, and that's where Underwood's faltered. The green beans tasted like they came from a can, the carrots were previously frozen, and the mashed potatoes were pasty and chalky. The much-lauded cherry cobbler was a mess of cloyingly sweet glow-in-the-dark cherry pie filling and mushy crust topped with a scoop of Cool Whip. The mostly octogenarian crowd seemed to love the sides, so maybe Underwood's caters to bland, low-sodium diets. Maybe this was what food was like in days of yore. Maybe I'm just a spoiled, nitpicky bastard who's grown accustomed to fresh, locally sourced produce and desserts topped with "Chantilly" cream. Regardless, I found most of the sides and the dessert nearly inedible. I'm not sure I would recommend Underwood's, but if you load up on the fried chicken and possibly the other proteins, then maybe you will enjoy yourself. Perhaps you're really old and like bland vegetables out of a can. In that case, this is the place for you, dear friend. If you ask nicely, maybe the kitchen will coat your fried chicken and barbecued sausage links in aspic. That would be swell! read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - My fried chicken dinner feast. This is not a Yelp photo. It's a cry for help. - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Super tasty ribs, Cole slaw and mashed potatoes! Convenient drive through. The only negative was that I got no napkin or plastic ware.

Lovely experience, the ladies on the counters were very nice. Introduced us to the menu, very southern style food. Tasty and fulfilling

I came into this location for the first time yesterday with a guest. I was hangry when I came in as I had been working on my ranch all day in the hot sun and was in need of a cool beverage and some even better eats. When we walked into this cafeteria style joint and picked up our trays, we were greeted by an employee behind the counter who asked if we had been to the location before. While it was my first time here, my guest had been here many times. Therefore, I got the run down on what's what and then began to make my way down the line. I elected to get the fried chicken and some other key sides. Fried Chicken- Wow, this fired chicken was juicy and crisp; just the way its supposed to be. Mashed Potatoes- These mashed potatoes served here are indulgently buttery, creamy and perfectly dense. Green beans- These were rather tasteless but a hit of butter and a few shakes of pepper made them tolerable. Potato Salad- The recipe presented here was that of a classic, creamy, zesty, Southern potato salad. Peach Cobbler- This was served in a true pandowdy form. It was warm and had a wonderful cinnamon kick. I purchased a small individual serving of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream aside from my tray to spoon on top of the cobbler to make it perfect. Overall, this meal was a 4.5/5. However, the service provided here from those who dole out the meat to those who check on your table and provide refills during the meal was 5 +. #supportlocal read more

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Very good food! Everyone was nice and helpful. It has a nostalgic feel. Will return next time I'm passing through.

The food was absolutely amazing I couldn't get enough and this place had such an amazing vibe

Best fried chicken in town. The service was on top of their game and never let my glass get empty. Offered free rolls. Will definitely be going back soon. read more

We missed this place the last time we found ourselves in Brownwood and I couldn't wait to try their fried chicken. When came back I looked them up praying it was still open. It was and they had a coupon you could print out at your hotel, very cool. We loved the fact that they have the old school neon cowboy sign and it was cafeteria style, something that seems extinct. It was after lunch and slow so we didn't feel bad asking a ton of questions and everyone was so helpful and kind. Grab a tray and go for it....the coupon allowed for two half portions of your choice of meat, I got the fried chicken and the baked chicken both tender and juicy. You also have a choice of three, yes three sides and whatever "fixens" you want. Lots of choices, but save room for the rolls, my goodness they are so soft and fluffy you could almost cuddle up one. They have them up on "the line" but servers will come around to ask if your like more and to offer sweet whipped butter that compliments those "fluffy air-babies" perfectly. Did I mention dessert? Cobbler in apple, peach or cherry, they come around with fresh whip cream for that as well as refills of your drinks. If we ever "pass through" Brownwood TX. again we will run right back in. Thank you for your hospitality. read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Half order of baked chicken and fried chicken on top of that are 2 rolls, three sides green beans, mash and carrots. Apple cobbler - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Went in late for dinner. Young lady explained how it works. Chicken was very moist and tasty. Sides were ok. Cobbler was very good. Would we eat there again?? Yeah if we are ever in the area. read more

Great food, as always!!! Hubby and I haven't been here in awhile but we were passing through on our way to San Angelo and decided today was the day to stop and enjoy brunch!!!! read more

The food just isn't good like it used to be. I used to go when driving through town and loved it. I live here now and went 2 times and it wasn't good at all! read more

Great food... very fair priced....best fried chicken you may ever eat. Hot rolls, cobbler and unlimited sides all included in price.

My go to place when in town from out of state. A true throwback to when restaurants cared about the food and the diners.

Hometown goodness you can't get anywhere else Love the rolls and cobbler for sure. If you're going through Brownwood for your first time give it a try. read more

Pretty good , rib and sausage was awesome ,steak wasn't really good and the apple cobbler was so good with home made whip cream I have to say this down home place is a must here read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Sampler - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

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Ho hum food, iffy service, decent atmosphere. The cafeteria of yesteryear is no more. Not bad. Not good. Just truly mediocre. I ate there expecting what Underwood's was 30 years ago, and I guess my expectations were just too high. read more

Service was good, food was okay. The plates weren't the cleanest, and the food looked like it had been sitting out for a minute.

There was a pretty long line but it went pretty fast! It's cafeteria style, pick a meat ( or more depending on what you want ) and all the sides you could eat. I got the fried chicken, huge serving and delicious. A few of my favorite sides were the fried okra, coleslaw, potato salad, mashed potatoes and fresh rolls. Don't forget your dessert! They have peach, apple and cherry cobbler. My fav is the peach. They walk around with fresh rolls and are very friendly and attentive. read more

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Underwood's was such a good idea! Hope you're hungry because this homestyle food will hit the spot! They have a good selection of chicken, beef and sausage options, lots of sides, toppings and sauces, not to mention three yummy homestyle cobblers! Your dinner plate comes with all of the above plus a drink of your choice. There are also sandwich options for a smaller appetite. The sweet lady who helped us was very friendly and gave us her favorite recommendations as it was our first time! They also came around as we were eating to offer hot dinner rolls and cool whip for the cobbler. Such a great experience! We'll definitely be back! read more

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Fried Chicken gets a 10. It is good and prepared perfectly. I had the catfish on my previous visit and it was just so-so. Someone else mentioned in a review that the sides (vegetables) were from a #10 restaurant-grade can and they are right. They are less than so-so. The cherry gobbler is decent but also from a food company and not homemade. They could really improve if they made homemade sides with some seasoning. They are just so bland as they are now. They need Emeril to teach them how to take it up a notch. Staff is friendly. Come for the fried chicken and you will not be disappointed. read more