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

Had very quick service, delicious mashed potatoes, green beans and black eyed peas 3 vegetable plate. As good as ever.

I was very disappointed in my visit. I got the friend pork chop dinner and only one thing on my plate was seasoned. The coleslaw was seasoned heavily with pepper and altered the taste of the coleslaw. I'm from NC and I'm sure of peppery coleslaw is how they make it hear in TX. But I didn't enjoy it. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Pork chop dinner - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food is straight shit I wished we would have turned around no one was in the restaurant that should have been a sign worst 41$ I have ever spent in my life. read more

We've had nothing but horrible luck with takeout orders during the pandemic from restaurants across town--forgotten items, missing sauces, completely wrong orders altogether, being overcharged, extended wait times, etc--so we were ecstatic that a restaurant finally came through with a 100% stress-free takeout experience! Hoover's was on-time and accurate. And as usual, it was the best southern comfort food in the city. My cajun catfish, jerk ribs, and fried okra were very delicious and filling. Would highly recommend. read more

Great customer service. I ordered the Jerk Chicken and it fell off the bone. The Mac and cheese wasn't the best though it was watery and lacking flavor read more

For the record.... I was on a diet when I left LA. Now....I am not. God bless Texas. #LordHelpMe #cinnamonbread #Screwed #FeedMeSeymour read more

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

This place is really good Home-style southern cooking. First time we were here (last Friday) we shared "Hoover Size" Chicken Fried Steak and ordered the following sides with scores: fried okra (3), Mac& Cheese (4), Cole slaw (3), Jalapeño creamed spinach (4), collard greens (4). Chicken fried steak was really good, but the CFS at Shady Grove might be a little better depending on your taste-don't get me wrong-Hoover's is very good home style fried chicken-type batter with a thick gravy-the Grove has a lighter breading and the gravy is not quite as thick- you really need to try both of you are CFS Lovers like we are! The real star at Hoover's is the Praline Bread Pudding!! Wow what an amazing dessert! Buttery, Carmel and Pecans and big enough to share-don't skip dessert here! read more

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What a menu! Feels like grandmas house. I had the chicken and dumplings. Chefs kiss!

Coming from CA where there isn't a lot of BBQ places I was happy to be in a city that offered so many choices. We chose Hoovers because it was close and seemed to not need reservations. Upon arriving on a Saturday night there were only a few cars in the parking lot (which should have been our clue) that it wasn't going to be great but I was being optimistic. They have many choices from meats, sides to desserts. Unfortunately nothing was great besides the fried okra which is sad because we know it was frozen to begin with. I ordered the jerk chicken and it just tasted like grilled chicken with a weird tasting sauce on the side. The sides I ordered were not hot. Luke warm at best. The mac and cheese was like slightly warm and runny! The corn muffins were dry and the other muffins I wish I could tell you what they were supposed to be, were hard and burnt. I don't think this place really even deserves 3 stars other than the fact that our server was pleasant and the bus boy (man) was friendly and kind. I don't ever see us going back. Especially when there is so much competition in this town to try. read more

Went out on a limb, my dad was looking for jerk chicken and my boyfriend was looking for soul food, and we came across Hoover's. We got there right on time, probably after 10-15 after being seated, the place got PACKED. The inside of the place is kind of like a hole in the wall, but whatever, those are the best places to be. Our server was awesome. Always checking in on us, filling our glasses with water, and he broke down the menu for us, he knew his stuff. My parents got the jerk chicken, hoover size with the sides. When the food came in, they were like "that's it?" looked it it wasn't enough for the upcharge in size portion. Guess it didn't matter much because they said it was delicious. They got cheese and garlic grits too, which they loved. My boyfriend got catfish, and he downed that in silence, every so often singing and dancing in his chair because he was in love with the food and the music they were playing. I got the chicken fried chicken, and damn it was nice and tender and juicy. Mac and cheese was good. Mashed potatoes were good but definitely under seasoned. The four of us took dessert to go. Peach cobbler, chocolate cream pie and coconut cream pie. Damn were they good and hefty sizes. Y'all got us. We're coming back. read more

Great sides and some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. Definitely recommend. Trust.

Terrible service. I was the first one in the door and because I had said there will be a total of four he refused to seat me. when I asked why he said he had only one server. OK but what difference does it make whether we sit at one table altogether or we sit individually. You're still going to be serving the same amount of people plus there were very few people that had arrived in the restaurant at all since it just opened finally, we were seated, and when we finished the meal we weren't allowed to have individual tickets same principal applies as you were still catering to the same amount of people whether they're sitting together or not. And to top it off, the food was terrible not worth the money at all and none of us in this party of four that arrived right when they opened will no longer recommend or go there. Worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. read more

It has been a while since I have had Hoover's cooking. I had forgotten how truly delicious this food is. I am known as a pretty good cook and since the pandemic started have been perfecting my own meatloaf, chicken fry and sides - however I can't compete with this even on my best day. I have tried some closer to home restaurants but always ended up just cooking it myself. I love how they have fresh and frozen food to go now and can guarantee that it will be a regular stop on my weekly shopping trips. Keep 'em busy folks - this is one of those Austin gems we need to keep around. Oh, and your welcome. read more

Hoover's is still the best soul food restaurant in Austin...and we can argue! Lol! I hadn't been in so long because it's so far away from me, but I'm so glad I could stop by. I ordered the meatloaf with mustard greens and macaroni n cheese. Everything was just as I remembered: seasoned, but not too salty or hot. The sauce on the meatloaf is everything! I enjoyed the attentive service and the food came out really quickly. I'll definitely be back soon! read more

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The place was really crowded but we were seated in a timely manner. The server was really nice and helpful with then menu. I thought it was a Soul Food joint but it was more of a Southern flair. Nice size menu with lots of options for sides and desserts. I ordered the fried pork chop and it comes with 3 sides, I choose mac n' cheese, mustard greens and candies yams. My BF ordered the chicken fried steak, mac N' cheese, mustard greens and mashed potatoes. It also came with 1 basket of bread. The pork chop was fried perfectly, super moist and juicy on the inside, however, it did need a bit more seasoning on the breading. I would definitely order this entree again. The mustard greens were too sweet for my liking, but the server did mention they are sweeter and have meat added unlike the collards. Seriously, who doesn't use some sort of meat in their greens? So we opted for the mustard greens, not bad, but I would try the collards next time. The mac n' cheese was not the baked version, more of cheesy sauce added to macaroni noodles, flavor was decent but it reminded me of the boxed version. I would pass on this side. The candied yams were amazing, probably the beat I've had. Buttery with just the right amount of brown sugar and cinnamon, it didn't taste like dessert. This would be my go-to side all the time. My BF wasn't impressed with the chicken fried steak, he said the meat was too thin and the breading was too thick. He agreed with sides but said the mashed potatoes were good. The gravy was also very delicious, thick and creamy. Now the bread basket was a total fail. The cornbread was drier than a hot summer day in the Sahara Desert, borderline dangerous to eat with out a drink within arms reach. The biscuit/roll, not sure what type of concoction they had going on there was confusing to me. I thought it was a biscuit but it didn't completely have the texture of a biscuit, more like the flakey layers they sell in the grocery store. However, it also had a roll texture but really doughy. It's very hard to explain but it just wasn't good, terrible as a matter of fact. We also ordered a slice of buttermilk pie and it was a total let down. The filling didn't taste as though it set long enough and it was very eggy. The crust was also dry and not flakey. There are so many dessert options so next time I'll try something else. Overall, the food was good and the service was great. read more

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One of the waiters was rude to my wife before we were seated. Gratuity was automatically added to the bill, and we were overcharged for our drinks. Atmosphere was boring. Food lacked taste. None of us in a party of three finished our meals. We left the restaurant still hungry and disappointed. read more

No real soul food lack of flavor.We got the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and creamy spinach. We also got charge extra $4 for sharing the plate. They never told us that. read more

The food is great. The meatloaf has a nice tomato sauce, but it had quite a bit. The ribs are also good but get regular unless you like Jamaican jerk so much you want to pay the extra dollar. Same with the chicken. I also recommend getting regular sized platters instead of Hoover size. Hoover size is great, but you get to try an extra side if you go the regular route. The cowboy beans are good if you like beans with some bbq sauce and meat. The mac n cheese is disappointing. The collard greens and mustard greens are great, but not so much the creamed spinach. Solid mashed potatoes. The broccoli was just one giant piece. My favorite side is the candied yams. If you like candied yams, you will be in heaven. The service is hit or miss. I have had excellent, attentive service but I have also had horrible service. The place is definitely worth checking out. read more

I heard mixed reviews regarding this place and it's position in Austin in the comfort/soul food arena. That's why you have to go try for yourself. Awesome food! I got the hoover's size chicken fried chicken entree. My 2 sides were the Caribbean rice and buttered beans. Everything very flavorful and delicious. The standouts on my plate was the gravy on the chicken and the buttered beans. I was pleasantly surprised. I haven't had buttered beans from nowhere in Austin like here. A must try. Reminds me of my Dallas roots. Hoover's can definitely hold its own in the soul food arena with anybody in atx. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Menu Oct 2020 - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We had been craving fried chicken for quite a while, and we were holding out to be able to order it fresh instead of delivery/takeout, and we are SO glad we did! The 2pc fried chicken plate at Hoover's is a great deal, and their chicken is beautifully crispy, moist, and dirty, in the very best way possible! It was extremely hot and juicy, with a perfect crust! The falling pieces of crust added to the mac & cheese and green beans perfectly, I highly recommend that technique! The cajun charbroiled catfish plate with one filet and three sides was more than enough food! The fish was a hearty piece, and cooked perfectly, with the perfect amount of seasoning! The okra was perfectly crisped an piping hot, the fries are battered and have the perfect consistency, and the cowboy beans had GREAT flavor! The gumbo however, tasted of liquid smoke, and really lacked depth in the flavor. The mac and cheese tasted like something from a box, and we were disappointed in tabasco being the only hot sauce option. They had some great taps beers advertised, but didn't have them available, which was disappointing. The frozen margarita wasn't nearly as good as we remembered it being the first time we came, so we stuck with bottle beer. The service definitely left something to be desired, but in their defense they were short staffed. Menus, or a QR code to scan for one prior to asking what we wanted to order would have been helpful too.... Overall, we might chalk up some of the downfalls to the current state of the world, and the next go-around we might opt for to-go instead! read more

OMG this place has amazing! I ordered online and it was ready to go with minimal contact! We ordered the chicken fried chicken meal with candied yams and slaw and it was amazing! We got a "side" of jerk chicken with extra bread and it was all around $30 (and almost too much food for my family of 4). The jerk chicken was so flavorful and the sauce was a perfect blend of tangy/spicy/sweet. The candied yams was devoured too fast so next time I'm going to need more housemates. Can't wait to go again and try more! read more

Hoover's Cooking - First in line and ready! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best veggies old fashioned old Austin we miss East Side Cafe though. Fun to take visitors to Austin not really weird but part of things.

I live in the town of Canyon Lake.... I come to Austin to visit my boyfriend, Mikey! Austin was my stomping grounds when I was a kid and teen. I recently found out about Hoover's! We decided to came for dinner tonight..... ALL THAT I CAN SAY IS WOW! Awesome food, generous portions, clean environment, and the best waitress ever, Kayla! Super friendly and great personality! Highly recommend!!! I wanted to try all the sides... but will have to come back for that! I THINK I FOUND ONE OF MY NEW FAVORITES! read more

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

I've been to Hoover's 3 times in the past month. Each time I was left thinking, "That's it??" The food is edible, but not worth the price (plates are $13-$18 if you're getting an entree that includes sides). The mac and cheese was dry and flavorless (it used to be amazing and creamy and saucy). The mashed potatoes were fine but under-seasoned. The meatloaf was okay. The server was nice and kept the tea flowing, and my friend's chicken fried steak looked legit! The reason I won't go back is because the last time I was there, I wasn't hungry so my partner "Hoover-sized" their entree so I could just nibble. I noticed the menu said there was a $3 fee for splitting an entree, so I asked the server if they could just not split it, as I wouldn't be eating much. They said no, they can't send an extra plate out of the kitchen without the $3 charge, to which I said that no extra plate was even necessary. They said they simply couldn't do that. Well, to my surprise, when the food came out it was an entree and an extra empty plate - they charge you $3 AND make you split it up yourself? What a joke. And as I told the server, no extra plate was necessary, so it didn't even get used (still was charged the $3 though). Sorry, I know I'm rambling, but that is absolutely a scam in my opinion. In hindsight, I should've ordered a single side for $4.50 and at least put my $ towards something, instead of an unneeded empty plate. Hoover's, I hope it was worth $3 to lose any money I would've spent there in the future! Best of luck. read more

I've heard mixed things about this place for years, but I've always wanted to try it for myself. My two friends and I ordered a bunch of options to-go and we were not impressed. Mac and cheese as well as the mashed potatoes lacked any sort of flavor. There was plenty of breading on the chicken fried steak which tasted good but I had trouble finding the steak. The ribs had a little flavor but just tasted like smoke. Our orders came with dry cornbread and another type of bread that was too hard to try to eat. I want to see Hoover's be successful after all these years but something needs to change read more

Needing another break from BBQ, came here with our friends while Sweetie was at the conference. It's a quirky-looking place, kinda hipsterish, not far from campus. Food is pretty much soul food mixed with Texas specialties. We started with lemonade, pretty good and served in a big pitcher. One free refill, which was plenty for me and I love lemonade. I had the hot link sandwich, which came with way too many onions and peppers. They didn't add anything so I took them off. The sausage was good, and very peppery, and the bun was very good. My side was fried okra- lighter and fresher than most preparations. Our friends had fried catfish which was pretty good, sided with jalapeno spinach which was not hot at all, and decent Caribbean rice. Service was slow, considering that they weren't busy. Prices are a bit high for what you get. The bathroom was sketchy. I don't know, it just didn't stand out to me. Maybe I should come back for the country fried steak and some pie. read more

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

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Welp... can't believe I paid for this. Walking in the door started off innocently bad. Lady at the door instructed my party to take menus and find a seat. Minutes later the same lady walked a "Caucasian" and "Hispanic" couple (separate occasions) and seated them properly. It went down hill from there with greenbeans with the snaps still on. Hard chicken fried steak equally as hard chicken fried chicken. Poorly made Arnold Palmers, and what they consider mashed potatoes. All of this was just not seasoned well at all! The bright spot was our server who was really friendly and on his game. That's the price for trying some place new! read more

Had a great experience here and definitely will be returning! Their customer service was fantastic. We came for lunch during the week and were greeted promptly and seated quickly. The menu had a lot of great sounding things but I settled on the fried pork chop. The single chop comes with three sides, awesome. While we were waiting for our food they brought out some mini corn muffins and some bread that had a great, light cinnamon flavor. Good stuff. Our food came out and my companions had the fried catfish and BBQ chicken and they both looked great. My plate had the fried catfish as well, which although looking good, is definitely not a fried pork chop. I told the server I had ordered the chop and he apologized and went back to get it going for me. Very soon after, a gentleman came to our table and apologized for the mistake and offered me a dessert to make up for the error. What a great thing to do! My fried chop came out shortly and it looked great and tasted even better. Crispy and perfectly fried. I asked for some cream gravy and that really put it over the top. The Mac & cheese, black eyed peas and green beans were great comfort food as well. Thoroughly enjoyed it all and just after eating my last bite, the gentleman appeared again and asked what dessert I had decided on. Coconut cream pie was the answer and oh how yummy it was. I was full but I made room for that delicious pie. What a great lunch! I'm telling all my friends how good the food was and how great the service was as well. read more

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My friend saw this restaurant on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives so when we made it to Austin, we had to try it out. Disclaimer: both of us are from southern Arkansas so we're very used to the soul food cooking of our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and parents. The food at Hoover's Cooking was good but it wasn't as good as that down home Southern Arkansas cooking. We ordered the fried catfish with mashed potatoes and okra and the fried chicken with black eyed peas and Mac n cheese. The food wasn't overly seasoned, which is good but I think it was only slightly seasoned which was also a bit light. Love supporting a small business though so definitely check it out. It will satisfy the hunger and unfortunately I forgot to grab a photo before I dove in lol. I also got the beet-a-Rita which was really good. The pecan pie was too thick and sugary so I couldn't really chew it without my teeth feeling like they were being welded together. The vanilla ice cream was good. read more

I took my friend here from out of town because she wanted chicken fried something or another and saw with all of the reviews that we might be able to score a hit here. I would say that overall it wasn't too bad but it wasn't that great either, most of my dish lacked flavor. My chicken fried steak was not a great cut of meat but it was battered pretty heavily, the mac and cheese was probably the best thing followed by the okra but the creamed spinach was a dud. I poured hot sauce and ketchup on everything to make it a little better. Our server was nice also and pretty efficient but I am not sure if I would return, kind of a bummer because it has a nice homey feel to it and the pies did look good but we opted to pass on that as well. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried steak, not so great but liked the Mac n cheese - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our first time here and it was pretty delish! Just like any other restaurant, there are things on the menu that shine brighter than others... For instance, the chicken fried chicken, y'all, so good! And the catfish was on pointe - super tasty and perfectly cooked. If you're into drinking (cause who isn't?!?), definitely get the frozen margarita - nice and strong - and it arrives perfectly packaged in a frosty glass with salt and lime. For only $5, it's a sure winner. There were five of us there so we got to sample many of the sides. The pinto beans, fried okra, Mac and cheese, candied yams and cole slaw were all delicious. We heard a lot of talk about the jalapeño creamed spinach and the sausage... they were aaright... Cornbread muffin was a bit dry and came out at the same time as the food so we decided not to waste any valuable carbs on them. Overall a delicious meal that's very reasonably priced - Winner winner chicken dinner! read more

First time here was a fairly good experience. Waitress was nice and fast with our order. I had the catfish. Pretty good but not much flavor...lets just say their is better here in Austin. My fiance had the pork chops which were juicy and just right. Overall I give this place 4 stars only because the catfish wasn't to my liking read more

Hoover's Cooking - I forgot to post our meals. enjoy - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I tried Hoover's for the first time earlier this week. I had the chicken fried steak, fried okra, and the mashed potatoes. Reviews: -they know about country fried chicken. As a Texas girl, I have high standards and this didn't disappoint. My grandma and I used to search for the best chicken fried chicken and I think she would've liked this one. - fried okra: what a treat. - mashed potatoes: solid, very normal mashed potatoes. Nothing exciting or special but still very good. -gravy: the gravy was not my favorite. It had a slightly weird flavor, not bad or spoiled, but I just couldn't get onboard. Regrets: I wish I had more calories to spare because the list of desserts at this place was woah! I really wanted some blackberry cobbler but luckily they only had pie and I was really happy to not buy dessert (for my waistline). Unexpectedly! There were two rolls. Since the dinner was enough for two meals, this was perfect. I have no idea what flavor they were, but how delicious. Edited to add: the service was also good. Take out was easy. Workers wearing masks to stay safe with covid. The girl behind the counter was sweet and helpful. 5 Stars read more

While in Austin for business, I had an opportunity to spend some time with a friend I've known for over 30 years. We got to eat dinner together and decided to eat here! When you walk in you feel like you're home. Well, if you grew up in the south anyway. Big long tables and red checkered table cloths. I ordered chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and veggies. The portions were huge!!! I should have known better than to order a meal like this. I had enough for dinner the next day too. Check this place out. read more

Good food home made style. You will really like the menu. Plenty of different choice Forgot to mention I was here with my Daughter, Son in Law and Grandson. We are from San Antonio and any chance when we visit Austin we like coming here. There are many good restaurants in Austin and to me this is one of the best. read more

Southern & Caribbean Cooking at its best! The Chicken & Sausage Gumbo was smoky, savory & peppery. I appreciated the rice because it cooled things down a bit. The Jerk Rib was perfectly cooked and seasoned to perfection. The BBQ sauce complimented it well but I didn't need it....the ribs were the star of the meal. The 3pc Fried chicken was just okay. I will skip this next time & stick with the ribs. The Yams took me straight to what a Thanksgiving meal is all about...sweet and delicious. This was like having dessert with dinner. The Mac & cheese was good. The butter carrots were cooked well. Not salty, not sweet. The steamed broccoli & squash medley were our healthy choices. Cooked well. If you are trying to eat healthy, you've got plenty of flavorful options. If you want to splurge, they've got that too. read more

The food is not as good as it used to be. The margaritas are frozen and taste like rotten limes. That on top of a 20% additional service fee is not worth the visit. I won't be returning. read more

This place has incredibly delicious food. Portions are generous and everything was super fresh. Service was ok and ambiance and cleanliness very good. My only issue is why is Hoover adding a dollar to everyone's meal to pay to give his employees a day off? I'm not a stockholder in Hoover's so why am I paying it? read more

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