Wonderful! Used to eat at the one in SA when it was open! So when looking for places in Austin to eat on our way through town I saw this and had to eat there! Just the way I remember the one in SA. Sure do wish it was still there!!!! Great food and great service! read more

Five stars because it is the one place all of my friends can agree on. Also because they are amazingly consistent; have good hours; serve an awesome kale and beets salad; have a great location; and are unpretentious and affordable. Even vegetarians will get by fine here. I almost forget to mention they give you free bread. How many places still do that? read more

Chicken fried steak, mashed, milk gravy, fried okra, salad - all fantastic. Add excellent service and great sweet tea and you've got yourself a winner. read more

Hoover's is where you go for the 'itis.' Just like grampa's restaurant in the Boondocks, except without the beds. Big mistake. They need the beds. Unfortunately for my arteries I've probably tried way too many things at Hoover's over the years...their ribs are, well stick to your ribs good. If you can finish a half rack, you're man (or the woman), and the itis will set in. You will go into a coma for the next 6-12 hours. Elgin sausage is always good. It is also always a mistake to eat Elgin sausage in Elgin en route to Houston or coming back from Houston. Again, food coma will commence. But they make darn good sausage. So its much safer to eat the sausage on Manor, and maybe drive a couple blocks home than have to go at it from Elgin. The Jamaican Jerk chicken is, well, not quite jerked enough for my taste. People are averse to some real heat in this town. The chicken fried steak is, well, as good as that sort of thing gets. And it can get quite good. We're talking low cuisine here, and great chicken fried steak is really at the apex of low cuisine--as good as it gets. Fried meat in gravy? Where do I sign up? Oh yeah, and their meatloaf is pretty tasty (though you ought to be able to do better at home if you're not completely lazy--though going to Hoover's suggest you're completely lazy or soon to be completely lazy). Lets talk sides. They're dangerous. If they have butter beans, you must get them. And they are BUTTER beans. Actually I think they're cooked in some insane mixture of sweetened condensed milk, butter and pork fat. Seriously. The devil's food. Give me a bowl, dig me a grave and push me right in when I'm done. The potato salad and cole slaw are kind of meh, go for buttered carrots, mashed potatoes, green beans, and black eyed peas. And yeah, if they got the butter beans, 2 get 2 of them. Lets not forget mustard greens and fried okra. Other essentials and they do them justice at the H. If you make it to dessert, you're done for. I'm not kidding. They're gonna have to wheel you out of the place. Last supper time. I have vague recollections of making it to some sort of rhubarb pie or peach cobbler a couple of times, and then I also recall passing out for the next week. Hoover's can kill you any time of day. See, they do brunch on the weekends. There's any number of evil, evil ways they can do you in. They have sweet potato pancakes. They have hoecakes. They have grits. You can get em cheesed and garlicked out, or drowned in sugar. You can get fried chicken and hoecakes. You see where this is going, right? Itis at 11 am on Saturday morning. You can have a pot of coffee and your day is sunk. Probably about the only other place that could put you in more severe insulin shock on a Saturday morning is Waffle House--and they're practically illegal anyway (which is why they stuck them way the hell outside of down by the crappy flea market). So Hoover's is solidly good Southern eats. But its also going to mess with your insulin, raise your cholesterol, and add inches to your waistline. But hey, food is worth it, no? You only live once, but you get to eat a few thousand times, so, give me a slab of ribs and some butter beans. read more

Services was great!! Chicken breading was a tad bit gummy.. Majority of it was already in the container. Hot and fresh grease could've easily been a quick fix!!! Will try again #chik 'n waffles read more

Those who've been to Hoover's will be unsurprised to learn that regional obesity rates are, roughly speaking, inversely related to latitude.

We were at Hoover's this past Saturday, 2/22/2020. I paid my bill with my debit card, wrote cash in the tip line and my husband left the cash tip on the table. Fast forward to Tuesday and I see on my bank statement that there was an added $8.51 added to the charge on my card. I call the restaurant and talk to Evan on Tuesday night and he assured me that he would take care of the problem and call me the next day. Well, the next day come around and guess what? No phone call from Evan. So I call again and talk to Joaquin, he took my info and said he would call back. He did call me back only to tell me that I had to give them a credit card number so they could refund the money and of course it was something I didn't want to do since someone there had already taken money with my card without my consent. He said the only other option was to give me a gift certificate to come back and have a meal again, which was not going to happen because the people they have working there are dishonest to begin with. So I reluctantly gave them my card number and I was assured that I would have my refund by Thursday. I still haven't gotten my refund. DO NOT pay with a debit or credit card at this establishment because they will charge whatever they want! There workers are thieves in my opinion! And yes, I know it was only $8.51, but it was $8.51 that I worked hard to earn only for someone to steal from me! If there was a no star review, that's what this place would get. read more

I am very disappointed! I've been to Hoover's in the past but the experience that I had this visit is simply unacceptable. My experience began with having to wait for a hostess, or anyone, to greet us and seat us in a restaurant that was practically empty. Then once at our table I noticed the menus were new. Our frustration began with having to wait again for our server to arrive and take drink orders. We decided we didn't want to order a meal for both of us, because my husband was not really hungry but I was. So he was planning to nibble off my meal. Oh, but NO!! The menu notes that if an entree was going to be shared they charge 3.00 for an extra plate and no extra or larger size entree. What the hell? And with that it states that an 18% gratuity is added automatically. Again, what the hell? So I look at the kids meals and I'm baffled to see in bold that is an adult is ordering a kids meal there is a 4.00 up charge but no larger portion. Again, What The Actual Hell? At this point I'm ready to leave because I still haven't had the waitress come to take our order or even check on us. Remember practically empty restaurant. So I see a card in the middle of the table asking for a donation of a 1.00 to help pay for their employees sick days. Are you KIDDING me? This was my last straw so we decided to leave and eat elsewhere. All of the extra money gouging is not friendly customer service and not acceptable at all if you honestly think your food is good and worth paying higher prices. I'm not going back and I'm not advising friends to go for all of those reasons. read more

The catfish here is amazing! Crispy on the outside and tender inside. The mac n cheese was perfect and so were the black eyed peas! Just like home. The only dislike were the greens which I prefer a more savory vinegar ham flavor. These greens had too much sugar for my liking. When in Austin, I will def return here read more

If I were to choose a way to bring myself to morbid obesity and early onset heart disease, then I would choose going to Hoover's every day. Their mouth-watering soul food makes me drool just writing this review! This place has the best chicken fried chicken and meatloaf that I've ever tasted. If you decide to come here, be sure to beat the church crowds on Sundays, at least that's been my experience. read more

I never eat "home style" food, but I am a big fan of Hoovers now.. I had the Jerk Chicken and it was better that the real thing I had in Jamaica. It came with Candied Yams and Okra and I was stuffed and happy when I was done.I did see some rather large people eating there, so I assume that eating there everyday is not good.. read more

Just had lunch here and honestly felt like I absolutely had to take a moment to commend this place. The moment I walked in, the hostess had a warm welcoming smile, characteristic of true southern culture! Our waiter, Rob, was hilarious. Constantly joking with us, and making us feel very welcome and comfortable. The food was excellent - all made from SCRATCH - nothing out of a can or a box. You could certainly taste the difference. I had the fried catfish, sweet yams, and collard greens. Wanted a nice southern homestyle meal and I got one! The prices were EXCELLENT. There's few restaurants in Austin that combine their food quality, generous servings, and LOW prices like Hoover's. No wonder they're lauded in the press and papers so often. This is a must try when in Austin. Will certainly be coming back - maybe regularly! read more

I waited to be seated and once seated the servers all looked mad because they were closing today at 4. If you dont want people eating at your place lock the doirs read more

Hoovers......a great big S U C K I N G sound. I'm not quite sure what happened to this restaurant but it's food quality has gone SOUTH. The four of us went to dinner tonight and we were SO looking forward to a wonderful meal. I felt I was eating the food that was prepared sometime before lunch today. After asking twice for the cornbread it finally arrived......dried out, hard and forgettable.The mashed potatoes were STIFF and needed milk, the gravy was gelatinous and you could pick it up with a spoon. My carrots looked like the came out of a can and were dark, lifeless and had ZERO taste. My chicken fried chicken lacked the key ingredient called CHICKEN, mostly crust. My friend had the jerk ribs and reported they were TOO fatty and out other fan ordered the pork chop that resembled a poor cut of meat. We also ordered more drinks about halfway through our meal and were were finally served after we finished our dinner while the wait staff was clearing our plates. My momma didn't raise no fool.......... read more

I was introduced to Hoovers by a friend who knew the owners and had never been there before a few years ago. After eating there I can't believe I didn't know about this place before. If you want real southern down home comfort food, just sit down and order yourself a plate. If you leave here and are still hungry go see a doctor immediately. Its on the east side but easily accessible and other than the parking is a treat on any night of the week. I can't say enough good things about the people or the food, and the last time I was in there they were filming something for the food network, so they must be doing something right! read more

In Austin to pick up my hubby's niece and saw Hoovers, knew it would be comfort food, so stopped and what a treat! We both ordered tea which was fresh and strong. Hubby got the chicken fried chicken, mashed taters, greens, fried okra..he cleaned his plate! I got the catfish with fries, creamed spinach, and the carribean rice..I should have paid the $2 and ordered from the children's menu because I brought most of mine home..not that it wasn't good, just huge portions..saying that, we shared the peach cobbler topped with a scoop of their in house ice cream. Yes, I believe we left happy! Great waiter and meant to remember his name but do know he loves the creamed spinach.. read more

Straight Texas comfort food here. We hate the trip downtown (from P-ville) to visit Hoover's, and we just discovered the 2nd location on 183 North near Chuy's. We stopped in on Saturday night and were a little apprehensive that the second location would be the same as the original. We did not have to wait even though it was 7:00 on a Saturday night, and were immediately shuffled to a windowed booth that highly resembled Shoney's. (Did this used to be a Shoney's?) Our waiter was fantastic and quickly brought out drinks and took our order. I know the whole menu must be fabulous, but I can't ever resist the chicken fried steak. I had to order that, plus mashed potatoes and salad. My husband got the smothered pork chops. Even the kids grilled cheese looked enticing! I have not had enough left in me to order dessert, but the desserts look great as well. Our only tip- come very hungry or split an entree. (Or be pregnant and eat the whole thing.) The portions are huge! read more

Have eaten here since almost the beginning! Hoover Alexander can COOK! Love the food and can't wait to have their homemade Lemonade!

'On a Sunday go to meetin -rubber biscuit?'We come here a lot, mainly for the amazing burgers& fries. Hoover's fried catfish is out of this world, and their tartar sauce is really good, like you would expect your tartar sauce to be... chicken fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy, check, check and check! read more

I thought the food was for the most part bland. Green beans out of a can. Mac and cheese-bleh! Chicken fried steak-mediocre. Jerk chicken was ok but nothing like I had in Jamaica. read more

Well, I can't really make any new points here so I'll just rehash some of the points other reviewers have made. Portions are huge. Traditional Southern food It was Easter morning and my boyfriend's parents were in town and he wanted to take them to a gospel brunch. I was afraid that we'd be waiting for hours if we went to someplace like Threadgill's, so I turned to Yelp and Yelp suggested Hoover's. There wasn't a gospel brunch but there was gospel brunch food. There were barely any people when we arrived around 10AM (probably still in church or hunting for Easter eggs) so we were promptly seated. Our waitress was very friendly and pointed out the Easter specials on the board behind us. After looking at the menu for a while I finally decided to get the cajun taco plate with some garlic cheese grits on the side. My bf had the hoe cakes and his parents ordered chicken & biscuits and the muffaletta plate. I have to say the tacos were good (but not mind-blowing), but the refried beans, wow. Awesome. Really weird, right? The grits were a bit watery and not very flavorful (compared to Snack Bar's grits). Everyone else was impressed by what they ordered, and the bf's mom ordered some blackberry cobbler for dessert and shared it with the whole table. It was pretty solid. Overall, Hoover's made a good impression on me and I will have to go back for seconds. read more

This place rocks! Great food. Love the emphasis they put on their employees with the community value contribution. May become a weekly stop for me... and I live 20 mins away. read more

Gotta love their fried okra. Hoover's isn't just for carnivores. They have a delicious selection of veggies and other sides. Hoover's = Comfort Food. Always a good spot to take guests from out of state. read more

Money in the bank items: chicken fried steak, garlic potatoes, red-white-bleu burger, candy yams & the breads are pretty darn tasty too. Staff friendly and helpful. Pretty good spot to bring visitors. Snagged a shirt too. read more

Another place I must visit every time I come home. The chicken fried steak is the best. Period. No discussion. There is no better. And the size of their lemonade is perfect. Sides are perfect. Fried okra is a winner every time. I've seen some of the haters trying to say that Hoover's is not all that. Don't listen to them. Eating at Hoover's and not smiling is like being angry while riding a jet sky. It's not possible. read more

So my friend and I were thinking about places to go for dinner and I made the mistake of saying I was "pretty hungry." I mean, I was pretty hungry, but apparently he took that to mean: Dying of hunger, ravenous, haven't eaten in weeks sort of hungry. Or at least that's the kind of hungry I think you have to be in order to consume an entire meal here. Holy mackerel. I can eat, but the portions here were supersized. My friend got chicken-fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a side of ribs. I had the catfish, grilled with a Cajun seasoning, with coleslaw and mac and cheese. His chicken was delish..greasy and crunchy just as I imagine fried chicken should be. It was also the biggest piece of chicken I've seen in my life. If that was a chicken breast, I wish I could have seen the rest of the bird. Wow. My catfish was also very nicely done and it paired nicely with the coleslaw. I'm not, in general, a huge fan of catfish, but the Cajun spice added a little something and the texture was a lot better than I remember. The macaroni and cheese wasn't really that flavorful, but my taste buds might have given up by that point as it was the end of the meal before I attempted to eat it. Also, there was a pretty delicious little sweet potato bread number that was light and flavorful. Even though I was stuffed, I found a way to choke down two. Anyways, maybe it was the atmosphere, but I totally gorged myself. I was so full, my friend had to drive home. (I have a problem, I know). From the looks of those around me, that seems like it's pretty much par for the course here. I thought the food was tasty, but it didn't blow me away. I'd go again, but I don't think it will be food that I "crave." read more

I really enjoy going to Hoovers the many times I have gone. They always give you huge portions which is always another meal for me. One week I wanted to go there but I called in every day to hear their specials until something caught my interest. I enjoy their crawfish etouffee and tilapia with etouffee sauce which are only specials. If those aren't on their special, I think they're chicken fried chicken is the best. As for the sides that come with your entree I love their cowboy beans, roasted garlic new potatoes, fried okra and their mash potatoes aren't bad either. I also some times get their lemonade which is delicious and they also give free refills. Some times they even let you take a cup to go. read more

Goddamn this place is good. They'll serve you a ham steak as big as your face. They serve you so much food that if you get a dinner from Hoovers, you don't have to make lunch the next day. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in austin. I think it's much better than that Austin institution of comfort food, Threadgill's. But someone I know who waited tables there tells me the kitchen is, shall we say, less than spic and span. Maybe that just adds to the down-homeness? read more

Wow. I'm giving this place five stars, however, I've only been here once. So this judgement is based soleley on that. First the food, the food was amazing. This is Southern cooking at its best (for Austin). I ordered one of the specials, the smothered pork chops, and that came with two 'mates' (side dishes). For my mates I chose the creamed jalapeno spinach and macaroni and cheese. I love me some macaroni and cheese and am extremely particular about ordering it at restuarants because it always tastes like it came from a box. This had so much cheese in it, even if it had come out of a box, it was overcheesed where all you could taste was that. Yummy. My partner in crime for this adventure ordered the meatloaf and got mashed potatoes and green beans for his side. You show up here with an appetite, as the portions are not for the finicky or non hungry. We ended up sharing our mates and entrees and they bring out corn bread and butter with the meal too. The pork chops were smothered in a thick brown gravy with onions, and the meatloaf was smothered with a thick spicy tomato based vegetable sauce that was a lot more awesome than the typical ketchup crap you normally find on meatloaf. The green beans were average, the mashed potatoes came with a white gravy and the spinach was the best creamed spinach I've ever had. After our meal, we ordered dessert. They have various sweet treats available, and we opted to share a cheesecake made of sweet potatoes, pralines, and caramel. The service was awesome. Our waitress, not only stayed on top of our drinks and refills, but was also very suggestive in a non upsell way. Originally I wanted to get the chicken friend chicken, but she suggested pork chops and she definitely pointed me in the right direction. Also our dessert was a suggestion from our waitress and we were definitely not disappointed. I noticed we arrived at around one pm on a Saturday. We finished up at around two. Right as we were leaving the entire lobby was full of waiting people. I recommend arriving early. The pricing wasn't outrageous, but obviously increases depending on the type of entree you get, or if you 'HOOVER SIZE A MEAL'. Yes, regardless of how large the portions already are, they give you the option to make it larger. Scary. All in all it was a great experience, I'm looking forward to going back and trying the chicken fried chicken, the chicken friend steak, catfish and gumbo. Also note, there are vegan options on the menu. Not everything needed to be shot in order to create an entree option. read more

i don't really crave homestyle/soul food in austin. i think it's partly bc i haven't had any here that is crave worthy. i also don't think of hoover's as soul food though too - homestyle, yeah - but there's not enough bacon, boldness, spice, heat and unconventional parts like ox tails or chitterlings. i'm probably going to get flamed for what i originally wanted to say so i'll say it more pc - hoover's seems too gentrified. when i think of soul food i'm thinking of This Is It in Houston or Sylvia's in NYC. i always like to preface these reviews by saying, i'm born and raised in houston. i don't claim a lot of things from Houston anymore, but the one thing we have there is food. with that being said, the food is average. i've never been knocked off my feet - actually if i was to give an accurate description, i would say, slightly better than luby's. i mean that isn't saying luby's is horrible, bc chicken fried chicken and chicken fried steak is really hard to screw up imho, but there's nothing about hoover's that making me say OMG i want their mac n' cheese now, or i want their corn bread right now. as a matter of fact, the candied yams weren't cooked all the way through, the corn bread is really dry and bland, they had some kind of sweeter biscuit that was hard and i likened it to a cardboard hockey puck. i didn't even get the 'top part' of the mac n cheese - you know the cheesy topping that's the best part. pluses are that the portions are ginormous if you order from the regular menu. i was mostly impressed by the portion of sides you get. if you order from the 3's menu you get a slightly smaller entree and a choice of 3 sides that are also a smaller portion but are actually closer to the portions you would normally expect anywhere else. if hoover's and threadgill's is austin's claim to homestyle food, i think i'll pass and stick to interior mexican which is actually done very well here. read more

Hoover's ROCKS! If you want some stick to your ribs true Southern cooking - this is the place! I believe Paula would agree. I had the chicken fried steak and it did not disappoint! It might not look like much from outside, it resembles a food joint in a strip mall, but the interior is a nice surprise. This isn't really a vegan, vegetarian or dieter's type of place though. read more

sweet baby jesus in the manger, hoover's is the best restaurant in austin. hulagirl is, obviously, from the land of hula. but i swear to god there's a latent southern girl inside me. i love stewed collards and grits and all that good stuff. so bless you, hoover's. i'm so not one to normally go for the chicken fried steak but holy god is their chicken fried steak pretty much the best thing ever. i started off sharing it with hulaboy but he got tired of me hogging it and i'm now forced to finish off the entire plate by myself. and please. for the love of god. let's stop comparing this to threadgill's. threadgill's=terrible airplane food. hoover's=heaven. read more

This place was fabulous! I was really pleased to find a restaurant that was open around the clock and where it appeared you could leisurely hang around that wasn't filled with students. I had the cheesy garlic grits. They were awesome. If the grits are this good, it only bodes well for the rest of the food. read more

It really depends on your dietary limitations/preferences. I went there with a vegetarian partner and a carnivore one, and they both had a great time. As for me, not eating meat or dairy products, I could only order the side dishes, and even in that case, I could not be sure which ones contained animal products (or were cooked in chicken broth) and which one did not. The very nice and friendly waiter did not really clarify this or understand my question. The small plates that I did eventually take were quite good, but in the end, I was still somewhat hungry. In any case, all of us enjoyed the service and the atmosphere. If only there were some decent vegan options... read more

Southern food served in a noisy, chaotic environment, with portion sizes that would do Dom DeLuise proud. Menu standouts are the chicken fried steak and/or chicken, the Cajun ham poboy, jerk chicken and any dessert. If they are serving banana pudding cheesecake, do yourself a favor and order it. You will not be disappointed. I have always left Hoovers full and happy, if not a little sleepy. read more

I hate to write a negative review because the potential is there to be delicious, but I can't ignore 3 sub par meals in 3 separate visits. The final straw was dinner tonight. I ordered the chicken fried chicken with mashed potatoes, grits, and salad. My entree came and was the thinnest, driest, chicken breast fried til it was rock hard and smothered in gravy. Next to it was a sad pile of potatoes equally smothered in gravy. The grits were just edible and the salad fine, but not enough to carry the meal. The husband had a sad red, white, and bleu chicken sandwich. It came open faced with two dried chicken leather patties smothered in browning lettuce , watery tomatoes, and tasteless bleu cheese. Ugh. The experience was just depressing. Service was fine but I'm there to eat the food, not the servers. Sadly that was the last nail in the coffin. Hoovers you are dead to me. read more

I love Hoover's with all my heart, ever since I tried it a few years ago. I, too, grew up in small-town Texas. Sorry Granny, but Hoover's Cooking shames your food, except for your fried okra. Everything I've ever tried at Hoover's was mostly very delicious. One caveat: their mac n cheese can be very hit or miss. Yes, the portions are huge, but what's wrong with having it for lunch the next day? So what to recommend? I think their chicken fry is one of the best out there, and I consider myself a connoisseur of chicken frys. But I almost always go for the chicken fried chicken. Their gumbo is delicious on the days that they have it. I don't like meat loaf, but my husband claims it's the best he's ever had. I also love their catfish, particularly the lemon pepper, which is a quasi-healthy alternative to the rest of the menu. I've found the po'boys to be outstanding, too. And on Wednesdays, you may have the exquisite chicken n dumplings. I'd like to address the other person's critique of the way that they prepare their dumplings. You ask who makes dumplings like that. Actually a quick use of The Google yields a surprising result. Paula Deen, the queen of southern food y'all, makes her dumplings exactly the way Hoover's does. I've had both versions and like them both. Hoover's stands out in the respect that they use their smoked chicken, giving it a terrific flavor. It's also loaded with huge chunks of chicken. I think getting hung up on whether or not it's soul food, or southern food, or comfort food is a little silly. It's kinda like going to almost any "Chinese" restaurant in Austin and not getting authentic Chinese, or expecting true Mexican food at one of the many restaurants around here that call themselves "Mexican." I think for most of us food laymen out here, the term "comfort food" works just fine. I've lived in the South all my life, and maybe I've been hoodwinked for 29 years, but their food seems to resemble what I grew up on, only much much better. The atmosphere is not great, but to me, the place is as un-pretentious as it gets, and so is the food. I also like the fact that I often see Hoover himself working the kitchen or dining room. The only reason I don't give this place a full 5 stars is for their service. The service can be awful. As a long-time fan, I've observed that they seem to have a high turnover rate among their servers. Management needs to address this phenomenon so that they can retain good servers. read more

I've only been once and I had chicken fried steak, okra, and mac-n-cheese. The chicken fried steak was good, but not any better than most i've had, and the fried okra was yummy, but the worst was the mac-n-cheese (which is one of my all time favorite side dishes, but here it was gross, there was no taste to it, it was bland and I was hoping for so much more at this place. I had heard it was super yummy home cooking but I don't think it was all it was cracked up to be. If I ever go back i'm definitely ordering something different. read more

I randomly stopped by this place for a Thanksgiving lunch and was really surprised at how good the food was. I had the vegetarian medley meal and I was completely satisfied. Our waiter was fantastic and really made us feel at home, I believe his name was Christian. The whole staff really handled the holiday well, especially considering the amount of people dining (and waiting outside) that afternoon. I have no idea what their regular menu is like, but if the quality is anywhere near what it was on Thanksgiving day, I say check it out! Thanks Hoover's! read more