Am very fond of the Southern-style home cooking at Hoover's, though it can be inconsistent at times - maybe because Hoover hires young people for his staff. Some fave items of mine include the catfish po'boys: cornmeal battered catfish on a crusty loaf, smothered with sauce. Sides of creamy, gooey mac and cheese, and the creamed spinach with jalepeno are worth the calories. Baked goods are seasonal - pumpkin and sweet potato pies make an early appearance in the fall and stick around for a bit. Hoover himself is a beacon of warmth, I love seeing him in the restaurant. But he isn't always there, and when he's not, those little inconsistencies arise, like dry brisket, unspicy creamed spinach and jalapeno, and so-so meatloaf. I still love and will reccomend Hoover's to any fan of rich, satisfying soul food. read more

It's been 5 years. I thought I'd give this place another try. It's so disgusting. WHAT IN THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! This is truly some of the worst food on the East side, and even the city. How do you mess up biscuits and gravy? Grist? Go to Hoover's. They are fantastic at that. When the server came over to ask us how everything was, I let them know: the gravy was cold. The biscuits were hard. The food was terrible. Was there any apology or "let me take that off your bill"? nope. Bye, Felicia. read more

I just love me some Hoover's!! I could stop now, but that wouldn't explain the love. Today, Thanksgiving, was no exception! I have been coming here for years and it's even on my yelp famous last meal, so I truly love it and am well overdue in giving it high praise. On a regular day (I prefer Sundays because of their chicken and stuffing special) I always get the mustard greens and butter beans. I mix it up on the protein part and either get the chicken and stuffing special or the meatloaf. Both are down home greatness! Their hot wings are my favorite around as well. They hold the perfect amount of smokey meat/ sauce ratio. Big ups! The basic salad is perfect too. Carrots, cucumber, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. Not special, but freshy fresh goodness. Now as for the margs... I rate them NUMBER 2 (Number 1 is Texas Chili Parlor---that is only for a basic Rita btw--)in all of Austin!! Yaaaasssss! Go with the rocks! Bomb diggety! Today, my Dad and I went for TG dinner. We read some reviews, like Errol's, who suggested we arrive before 11:45. Well, we were late, but scored a seat....lucky, lucky seats...at the bar to discover we could order and eat there!!! Yaaassssss again! With like 100 people waiting, we legit skipped the line. I also got rock star parking! Boom! Really great turkey and dressing, plus no wait. Feel guilty? Nope!!! Very thankful for my Dad's prowess in needing a cocktail! It paid off:) I thought the staff was great on such a busy day and the food was yummy too, plus no dishes to wash! Yay! I will always be a fan of Hoover's. I can't imagine anything changing that. read more

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

So I order the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and country gravy & bacon. The meatloaf was covered in a marinera sauce. The mashed potatoes had brown gravy on then and the green beans were cold. I'm no Top Chef but I have sense enough to know that country gravy & bacon does not go with a red sauce. Again WFT Austin! read more

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

I was debating if I should give 3 star or 4 star. All dishes look very southern. It's like another restaurant called Threadgill's Kitchen. The main dish is chicken fried steak and fried catfish. I really don't like southern food at much. I ordered a very healthy one, Portabella mushroom sandwich - Bella Muffulleta. But the olives flavor is not enough. I hardly found any olives in it. My boyfriend got a really good dish - Jamaican jerk chicken. That one is worth 4 stars. But all other friends' dishes look like 3 stars. So I will still give 3 stars overall. read more

I was looking for a caterer for an event at UT and ended up going with Hoovers. The staff was extremely helpful and the food came precisely as agreed upon hot and ready to serve. I was so impressed with how easy it was to get my (somewhat large) order placed and have it delivered with zero headache. The chicken wings are absolutely delicious and the cobbler is great as well. read more

If you want Southern Cooking then no place in Austin comes close (although Dot's ain't bad). The food is excellent and the portions are large. You probably want to go into training to lose a few pounds prior to going to Hoover's because you'll gain all those pounds back during a visit to Hoover's. Be prepared to go home after eating at Hoover's and take a nap to recover. Excellent margaritas as well. read more

I still love Hoovers, although I agree with other reviews about the service drop. I am a Born and Raised Texan. I love Southern Cooking and Hoover's hits the spot. I also love Threadgills, but Hoover's wins in my heart. This is the place my folks always ask me to take them to eat when they come South for visits. Try the Chicken Fried Steaks, Friend Pork Chops, Meatloaf, Fried Catfish, Chicken and Dumpling, and many more dishes. The sides are simply delicious. I recommend the jalapeno cream spinach, candied yams, okra, and mac & cheese. The food is everything you want with Southern Cooking. I will say that last time I got a Cobbler it wasn't what I remembered and I was disappointed. I will not lose faith. This is truly an Austin Treasure. read more

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

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It pains me to do this because I remember a Hoover's that was worthy of praise. However, my meal there last week was so bland and terrible that the image of my plate of unedible food will most likely remain at the forefront of my mind. The food, as usual, looked delicious when it came out, but I quickly learned that looks can be deceiving. The chicken fried chicken? Tough and flavorless. The gravy? Incredibly mealy and the flavor resembled the smell of dishwater. The mac and cheese? Like rubber. The okra? I've had better in school cafeterias. The butter beans? Tasted fermented. The only object on our plates worthy of our tastebuds was the sweet potatoes. I'm just hoping that maybe this was an off night, but since it had been months since my last trip there, something tells me that there must have been some sort of change between now and then that was not a change for the better. On a positive note, I will say that our server was absolutely superb. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried chicken, gravy, mac & cheese and fried okra -- a super healthy meal! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

I was not very impressed with the 'comfort food' I purchased for over $50 for my family and I. I have not eaten here in annum er of years (5-6) and thought I'd give it a try since my pregnant daughter requested greens and yams. Once I arrived I asked about desserts and more specifically about the makings of their banana pudding. I guess it's my fault that I'm used to my home made banana pudding from scratch being made with pet milk or something similar. I didn't get that taste. Nor did my family and I get comfort from our food. There were jalapeños in my cornbread. Not sure if that's standard or not but if so would love for them to be called so. We all agreed that our food had minimal flavor. Then when I really made my mind up that I'd do this review was after I ordered a single jerk rib for $4.49 and got two bites of meat from it. I'm guessing I should stick to my old source of soul/comfort food! But I did try...again! read more

I've been eating at Hoover's on Manor Rd since the first week it opened. When I was a police officer assigned to East Austin patrol, I ate at Hoover's 3 or 5 times per week. Hoover Alexander, his staff, and their food were wonderful. Haven't been there in a few years since I retired. My daughter and I wondered in there last week as we were in the area. We were immediately greeted and seated. Same old smells of home cooking. I went with the locally made Texas sausage, cowboy beans, 'Amazing' creamed jalapeño spinach, and fries. My daughter had the ham steak with Jezebel sauce. Food was even better than before. In all these years, I have never had anything on the menu that was not superb. My compliments go out to Ron who was our waiter. I remembered him from visits to Hoover's Anderson Mill restaurant. I can tell when someone is a 'professional' waiter. They are rare but Ron is definitely one of them. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Locally made Texas sausage, cowboy beans, fries, and my absolute favorite which is the creamed jalapeño spinach. - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

When a friend suggested Hoovers for a late lunch after a meeting, I looked forward to it all week. This visit (there will be more to come) I will be reporting three Wows, one hmmm, and two ehhs. Wow 1- chicken freaking fried steak! The meat was juicy and not overcooked at all. The crust was crispy with not a single morsel soggy. Also, the crust wasn't just flour and no-flavor. I could have eaten it like chips. Wow 2- gravy. It was thick and creamy and should be awarded some kind of gravy awesomeness trophy. I plan on ordering an extra side of yummy to go over the cornbread next time. Wow 3- praline bread pudding. Now that was just a big hunk of (insert thesaurus matches for tasty) It wasn't sickening sweet like one would think seeing how it was drenched in gooey toppings. Between the two of us, we still couldn't finish the massive portion. Hmmm 1- mac and cheese. People talked and wrote about this stuff and I wasn't impressed. I was expecting exploding cheese flavors within baked macaroni. I guess they were out that day and hit up Luby's. It was on the runny side. So many people couldn't possibly think that was great so I plan on trying it again. Ehh 1- jalapeno creamed spinach. I did not like. It was too spicy to blend with anything. You couldn't taste the spinach at all. Ehh 2- I understand its a million degrees outside but geez it was hot in there. We sweated through the whole meal. One of my favorite comfort foods is chicken fried steak and by far Hoovers fills that desire. Too bad there wasn't any left over to take home and enjoy the next morning. And that gravy... read more

Southern comfort food at its best. Friendly service. Generous Portions. Delicious Food. Possibly the best pecan pie I've ever had. read more

Love Hoover's! Their cajun blackened catfish is really good and I really like their sides and rolls. I usually get their green beans, mustard greens, and broccoli. The sides menu alone has so many options, you'll be able to find something you like. Be sure to check out their daily specials as well, since there's a new one everyday. They've added online ordering now and the process is super simple, I was able to quickly order and pick up my food for dinner seamlessly. read more

Ordered this from Postmates- it was delicious! We ordered Mac and cheese, potato salad, the chipotle chicken sandwich and the fried chicken breast with gravy. Everything was phenomenal. I love how smoky and flavorful the chicken sandwich was and it had THE BEST bread roll for the sandwich. The fried chicken was seasoned to perfection and the gravy was a rich, perfect addition. I also really loved the sides- it was honestly everything I wanted. read more

I have heard about Hoovers for many years. It is supposed to have the best chicken fried steak in the area so, we decided to give it a try. we walked in and were greeted like we were interrupting the "hostess" - she told to go ahead and sit at any available table. The tables were clearly maked for Covid restrictions, 3 tables were occupied and many, were full of dirty dishes. Ignoring the stale smoke and dirty tables, we chose a booth. I used hand wipes to clean sticky feeling - and we waited for a server. After 5 minutes, a server came in, left drinks for a nearby table and she wouldn't make eye contact. (only server we saw)... After 14 minutes - we got up and walked out.. the "hostess" just looked at me - I said "I don't like being ignored" she said "oh, uh, ok" Bottom line - Hoover's may very well have the best chicken fried steak in the area but if the place is dirty and you cannot find anyone to wait on you - how would you know if it's the "best"???? this place needs people who actually give a rip.. read more

Website and front door both said ten o'clock but when we arrived shortly before 9 they said oh sorry covid hours were closed. When we mentioned website and we had driven some distance thg hey weren't apologetic at all just said it's been this way for months and they didn't see the point in changing the website. read more

I went on the suggestion of a friend. The customer service was great the waiter was knowledgeable on suggestion of menu items and provided history of the restaurant. I ordered pork ribs, fried chicken breast, butter beans, mac and cheese, greens. I thought it was just okay. I've had better country cooking. A friend of mine ordered the fried catfish and yams and he enjoyed it. I would suggest other places but the highlight was the customer service. read more

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Dude, really. How could you not like the King Of Comfort Food in Austin? Hip interior, amazingly friendly wait staff, huge portions, great food. I went for the Ultimate Comfort Food- Chicken Fried Steak, and I was NOT dissappointed! the dessert, too.. amazing. You'll love this place. read more

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

Great place for some southern comfort food. Friendly staff. Only had 1 issue with them, which management quickly corrected. My usual order: chicken fried chicken or chicken and waffles!! Side of Mac and cheese and tators. The sweet potato biscuits are really good and hard not to fill up on before main course. I do try new things every other time I visit, have not been disappointed yet. Almost forgot, you must order good for nuttin desert. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried chicken, Mac and cheese, mashed tators and Arnold Palmer - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Still the best southern food in Austin. I got the blackened catfish and it was fantastic along with everything else. I love their banana pudding and cobblers too. Hoover is an amazing man and a genuinely good person. Support black owned businesses and become a frequent customer like me. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Best banana pudding I've had in Austin - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Hubster and I were up early on a weekend morning and popped into Hoover's for some breakfast and hair of the dog. We were not disappointed. Hoover's is owned by a gentleman who learned about the restaurant business from the fellow who owned the Night Hawk (think Frisco's on Burnet now) and I'd say Mr. Hoover was an excellent student. The food here is straight comfort BUT because Mr. Hoover was raised farm to table (before it was hipster) he understands about bringing wholesome, real, fresh food to his diners. Vital Farms eggs, hand crafted nitrate-free sausage smoked to perfection, and Texas Fair Trade coffee are just a few of the offerings on the menu. I strongly recommend Hoover's for breakfast on the weekend (sadly, the only time breakfast is served is on the weekends from 8am-11:30am) with people who appreciate home cooking the way it should be! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Clean dining room. Good eats. - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

We were here on Tuesday 10/15 and it is what is advertised. Comfort food of big quantity at good prices. The place was clean, the staff very friendly, The food was good. Put this on your list when in the Austin market and try it. read more

Hoover's is the place to go for soul/comfort food. We went for Father's Day, and though the line was long, it was worth the wait. We had a big party, so we got to try a bit of everything. The chicken fried steak is tender, crispy, and generous. The sides are plentiful for two people, but you better save space for dessert because it's going to blow you away. The bread pudding and the cobblers are my favorite. They're not overly sweet, but they are warm, and when served with ice cream, it doesn't feel like an overindulgent finish to your meal. read more

Got my southern comfort fix as soon as I landed in Austin... fried catfish, mustard greens & collard greens... YUM! Thanks to the gal at National car rental for suggesting this place! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Fried catfish, mustard greens & collard greens... YUM! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went over a month ago to dine in but they had some setbacks so they were only offering to-go. Really wanted some chicken fried steak, we ordered and waited at a table with a frozen marg. This was a particularly bad evening for the Hoover's staff because their online ordering system had crashed and they were struggling. People who had ordered and paid online were showing up only to find out the order was never received and they had to re-order and wait again. The Hoover's staff never faltered, and maintained as much of a hustle as they could. Sure we waited longer than normal but these are not normal times. Even tho I was hoping for a dine in experience, I have to say their food translated very well for to-go dining. Not for one second was I disappointed that we had to wait and then end up taking the food to go. A few weeks later, we did get to dine in for my birthday and it was just spectacular. I even tried something new that I would normally never get. Those Cowboy Beans are ridiculous. Thank you Hoover's, for never ever letting me down... consistency is paramount, even in these trying times! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Hoover's sized Chicken Fried Steak and Cowboy Beans! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

If this review was JUST for the chicken friend steak and blackberry cobbler, it'd be a 5 star review! Similarly, if this review was JUST for the service, it'd be a 5 star review- so attentive and super friendly. However, there are some issues...the mac n cheese isn't very good. Fake cheesy/too cheesy? The green beans needed taste- just very bland. And sadly, the Jamaican jerk ribs made my friend really really sick! :( Great place for a heart attack on a plate haha very southern comfort. read more

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I like this place a lot.my Hubby felt the chicken fried steak was too soft. I loved the carrots, Mac and cheese and the bbq chicken without the sauce. The tea and iced tea was very good.i really think the service here is wonderful. I could not ask for better and more helpful service. Concur by convientvyk to the bortex where we are hoping to see a oma We had s great lunch. I loved the Coke I had and the squash medley. The cinnamon roll was great. The fried okra and steak Very happy to get the huge Arnold Palmer/ it was delicious. I am looking forward to my yams and my hamburger. I can't wait to try my Hubby's green beans as well and he got fried okra and meatloaf. Kevin the sever was very good. Looking forward to dessert. read more

I've had this place bookmarked for 10 years and finally got around to trying it. 10 years of anticipation and it was about as I expected: average but hits the spot. It seems like the perfect spot to take your parents when they visit you in college so I was surprised I'd never been...but then I remembered my parents never visited me in college. Anyway, $11 for CFS with 3 sides? Count me in. read more

Mr. Hoover. I wish I had the opportunity to meet you and just thank you for all of your delicious foods. Countless times after times, sometimes you just want a meal that feels like a good Ol fashioned home cooking and will leave you wanting to roll comfortably into your bed. I've been here multiple times with numerous others and it's always the same reaction, "yum". You got your meats such as their savory meatloaf, their go to chicken fried chicken, you got some super fried catfish, and ofc your dark and white chickens, Jamaican jerk spices, Oh boy the list goes on They're all delicious. Seriously. I've tried about 60% of the menu. Sides are plentiful and hearty, the meal portions are just spectacular for the price. I mean $12 can get you a happy stomach and an option to take it home and do it again later! Location is not bad, parking is available, they got a mini bar and friendly service. Man, I love this place. Mr. Hoover you da best! read more

Hoover's Cooking - How to get the itis - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

Some things are great, others are definitely not. Pros: - Great service. Friendly, attentive, genuine. - Good atmosphere. - Fried chicken was tasty. The chicken-fried steak looked good, but I didn't have it. - Side salad better than most. Fresh! - Cobbler. Yum! Cons: - Vegetables. The carrots and black-eyed peas were bland. Black-eyed peas had been cooked to mush, so it was more like porridge. Carrots had no seasoning, butter, anything. And they were overcooked so that sharp carrot taste was missing. I'd go back just for the cobbler! read more

Food on par w/ Luby's and the slowest service in Austin. Any questions? read more

We enjoyed our dinner at Hoover's. The service was good as was the food. I can't say it's the best food I've ever had but it was fine. We received a basket of bread that consisted of small corn bread muffins and something we couldn't identify. (I meant to ask our waitress what it was.) My son wasn't impressed; it tasted OK. My husband had ribs, our adult children had meatloaf and BBQ chicken; I had fried catfish. I had cole slaw, creamed spinach and mustard greens as my sides. For dessert, we had blueberry cobbler, apple cobbler and "Nuttin but Brownie". My brownie wasn't warm (I assumed it would be), my children's apple cobblers were not either but my husband's blueberry cobbler was warm. The inconsistency was a little surprising. read more

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When I come to Austin I always visit and always have great food. I like Hoovers, because you don't have to eat fried food . They have a wide variety of fresh vegetables and baked fish. Their banana pudding is to die for. Service was great and the staff was friendly. read more

The wings and chicken fried chicken are fantastic! I highly recommend them both. I can't wait to go back to try the dessert and corn bread dressing. This is some good soul food. read more

Hoover's Cooking - Wings wings, spicy and wonderful! - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

My wife and I ordered takeout after a really long week at work. We had been here once before and really liked it. But we got home and the food was TERRIBLE. The corn had no flavor. The bread was crushed in tin foil. The chicken was soggy and chewy. And we got peach cobbler that was inedible. It was clearly just a few canned peaches stuffed between store bought, chewy crust. Big fail. Won't ever go back. read more

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

Ran across Hoovers while searching Yelp for a place to eat while hanging out in austin for the night. My husband and I love home cooking and the promise of home cooked soul food got his attention. From the second we walked in we were greeted by a very friendly man, who was also our waiter. He was very personable and knowledgeable of the menu and specials for the day. There were plenty of booths and tables and for 330 on a Monday afternoon (also the 4th of July) there were still a handful of customers, which is a good sign. There is a variety of art for sale from local artist decorating the walls. I ordered chicken fried steak, okra, mashed potatoes and green beans. My husband had the Jamaican jerk chicken, potato salad, jalapeño cream spinach and black eye peas. Mine was very good. CFS was crunchy with a good flavor. The homemade gravy was also the perfect compliment to the steak. I'm very picky on my green beans and don't just want the straight out of the can taste. These were far from. Seasoned with bacon and onions they were fantastic. The homemade mashed potatoes and gravy and Okra were also very good. On the other hand my husband's chicken was good with flavor and the sauce was something spectacular, unfortunately the chicken was a little undercooked. He did really love the jalapeño creamy spinach and it lived up to the previous reviews. It was a large meal with a main dish and 3 good size sides. I recommend trying Hoovers at least once. The food has the home cooked taste and the service was great! read more

Hoover's Cooking - Chicken fried steak, green beans, fried okra and mashed potatoes - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I remember the food had taste. I haven't been to this restaurant in years now and decided to order. I'm very disappointed I ordered fried chicken and chicken fried steak. No taste. Im not sure what happened to over the years. Seems the food is catering to certain type of people. read more

2nd time arrived for Dinner 7:30 for table for 6 and was Crowed. Waited 1 hour and 30 min and floor manager did not even check on us. Restaurant was severely understaffed. A major suggestion of Upgrade to invest is to Get GUEST BUZZERS as they wait. Biggest issue was 2 tables finally opened up for 6 and the host ask to seat us and manager DIDNOT ALLOW us to be seated so we waiting for 20 more Minutes while 2 empty tables open. We were the Only table of 6 Standing in the Corner. Still not noticed. Disappointing and Terrible Service to customers. Will not return. read more

I've been a fan for 10 years when Hoovers was in San Antonio for a couple if years. Now it's only a few times a year when I'm in Austin that my family and I get the privilege of eating Hoovers. Yesterday my 14 year old son had a tennis tournament in Georgetown so we topped by for breakfast. It was delicious as always. 3 of us had the sweet potato pancakes, which I rate as top 3 I have ever eaten, and I also threw down the sausage breakfast tacos.... Fantastic! It was so good we stopped back by for dinner at 9pm. Still had a nice crowd. Our waiter suggested the CFS which my son and I had, it was one of the best I've ever had. Garlic new potatoes. Great! My wife and daughter had the meatloaf which I tried, excellent as well. My daughter even finished it , which is a rarity. We will stop by again whenever possible . I'm not stopping anywhere else in Austin. Thank you Mr. Hoover read more

Hoover's Cooking - Masons empty Plate at Hoovers - Southern Near Me - Austin, Texas