A lot has changed with this establishment since it has opened, notably the menu…read more Some things have stayed the same, but there have been some additions since new management has taken over. Tonight I had what is Hands Down the BEST chicken fried steak I have ever had.... Fresh Cut, tenderized, breaded, and seasoned to perfection Ribeye! Yeah, find another place that does that. And at a reasonable price.

Update: draft beer has returned. Unfortunately, the prices - even compared to nicer places in town…read more- are pretty high. They don't seem to have a happy hour or other daily specials, either...we'll wait and see.

Our Tuesday brunch at Sunken Gardens:…read more Dude. Delicious is not enough to describe the food and drink. Here's how it works. It's a buffet style of delicacies but they charge by the pound. It was $7.99/lb. Put what you want on your plate. There's so much to choose from. You can have it to stay or there's to-go containers. There's cold and hot options and plenty of entrees. Dessert is limited to cobblers. I highly recommend the sweet and spicy beef, the catfish, and the jalapeño-cheese beefsteak. Same goes for the tuna salad, crab salad, and zucchini salad. The pasta salad I could give or take because it was al dente. Wife had the meatloaf and it was gooood. Same goes for the chicken strips. The sides were all freshly made (macaroni, rice, etc), and we weren't disappointed with any of it. The rolls were also good but not sweet or anything. They were basic, but that was a good thing because I didn't want anything competing with the food flavors. We also got some cobblers (one pecan and one blackberry, but there were others). I prefer crispy cobbler and this one was doughy and dense. Some like it that way though. I will say that the flavor was good and refreshing, despite being dense. Despite having indulged ourselves at the neighboring Friday's the night before (see previous review), we woke up famished. Having no food available at Shinerville Coffeehouse (see review because they were so nice and even pointed us here), we wound up eating at the Garden. It turned out to be a great experience. At $8 a pound plus $2 for drinks and a tip, we paid around $40, but our plates were laden from side to side. We greedily ate all of it. I forgot about the mozzarella spinach. Get that. Drink options were typical sodas and four ice teas, or (free?) fruit-infused water from a cistern. The teas were also in cisterns. There were four options: a red unsweetened eucalyptus tea that I liked, unsweetened, sweetened, and peach. We got the peach. There's only to-go cups and refills are free, so you're welcome to take some for the road. The atmosphere: Inside it was cool and crisp. The noise level was moderately low and they had good music. Blackbird was playing at one point. Being that it was such a nice day, we opted to eat on the covered wrap around porch that overlooked the Spoetzl Brewery. Btw (in terms of distance) with a good driver and the wind at my back, I could hit the brewery with a golf ball from the parking lot of this place. The restrooms were unisex, as you'd expect for a small establishment like this, and very clean. The people: Staff were excellent, accommodating and knowledgeable. The manager took the time to speak to me for a bit in between rushes, but a wave of people came in so I didn't hold her up. Back on the porch, a young male staff member engaged us in some more conversation and we spoke a bit about Texas history. He is very, very proud of our state and our history - both eager to share and learn. On our way out I met a cook named Mike (easy for me to remember). He was tossing a box with a cool dragon graphic and let me keep it. He also let me fill our carrying-sized igloo with ice. Mike is ex-military like me and it was fun swapping "war stories." He started cooking when he was in the military and is a native Shiner (I gotta figure out what they call the denizens of Shiner). The patrons were also very nice and easily exchanged pleasantries and held doors for one another, which is one of the coolest parts about being a Texan - but is especially so in Shiner. Friendly and unintrusive is the best I can describe. We left full and satisfied in many ways. The pictures are of some cool views I saw. One is their electrical boxes outside, which are painted uniquely, despite being outside of clear view. Just another example of the grooviness that's the prevalent, unspoken expectation of the township. It really speaks to the spirit of the town. We also took pictures of our food before we devoured it.

We stopped at Sunken Gardens for lunch on our way to Goliad State Park and were pleasantly…read moresurprised. The restaurant is cafeteria-style, with everything priced at $8.99 per pound, which we didn't expect but ended up working great for our family since everyone could choose exactly what they wanted. The food tasted homemade, and the salad bar was especially impressive with lots of fresh options. The chicken tenders were a big hit with the kids, and we couldn't resist trying the cherry cobbler for dessert, which was delicious. If you're passing through Shiner and looking for a casual, satisfying meal, this is a great stop.

Food good like homemade. Have to order early though. Music is fine if you like old country…read more Atmosphere is like old joes pool hall. Friendly country people. Nothing bougie! Rusty is a good ole boy!

They had the best chicken fried steak. Filled up a whole plate. The service was great. They had…read morepool tables, a jukebox, and a game on TV! Doesn't get better than that!

We had a great experience at The Water Well Cafe in Victoria and would absolutely come back…read more From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff were genuinely kind and attentive, which made a big impression on our whole family. We also appreciated the Christian decor throughout the restaurant and enjoyed learning that members of the team participate in an annual mission trip to Guatemala. There was even Christian merchandise available for purchase to help support those trips, which was a really meaningful touch. The food was just as good as the service. Our kids were very happy with the chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers--fair warning, the burgers are HUGE and come with a very generous portion of fries. Everything felt like classic comfort food done right. We also tried the chicken tenders, fried okra, and tater tots, and all of it was delicious. I ordered the hamburger steak plate with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, and it was flavorful, filling, and exactly what I was hoping for. The only "regret" we had was not ordering the onion rings--they looked incredible when we saw them come out for another table! If you're in Victoria and looking for a friendly, family-oriented spot with great food, this is definitely worth a visit.

Solid 4 stars…read more Stopped in for lunch on our way through Victoria. It's in a cute little downtown location. I understand they split time with another restaurant, so there's a Cajun menu and the Water Well Cafe menu -- our family ordered from both. Across the board, everything was good. The Cajun menu looked great. Mexican chicken fried steak, ~$20 -- 100% worth ordering. I'd never had a Mexican chicken fried steak before -- it's basically a chicken fried steak, but it comes with an order of queso on the side. Something different and unique, and very, very good. Highly recommend it. The sides I had were the okra, tater tots and a roll, all above average. Bottom line, everything we had here was very good. Would highly recommend, and would come again.

This is the American Legion. We came for dinner on a Friday night and it was busy. The service was…read moregood and the ambiance is casual. They show movies on a TV. The food was just ok. I ordered the blackened catfish with rice and green beans but it lacked flavor. The waitress hardly came around for refills and the reason for 4 stars is the creamer for the coffee was bad and the third time finally changed out to milk instead of creamer. They open from 5-9:30 pm.

Food is always fresh , hot & amazing. Service is great weather you get it Togo or dine in......read more

Well, there was a group of 30 + of us. Staff knew 7 days prior that we were coming and they say 1…read moreperson didn't show up for work so it put them behind. We arrived on time and our order was placed withing 15 minutes of arrival. Food didn't start coming out for about 1 hour. There was no rime or reason to the order it came out. I waited for 2 hours and 20 minutes asking every 10 minutes about my meal once everyone at our table had their food. I asked no less than 6 times and there were at least 4 other people at my table that asked on my behalf. I was offered plates (wrong order) at least 5 times. This has to be the biggest disappointment at a restaurant I have ever experienced. We watched multiple tables that were empty get served the same order I placed before they finally brought out my order. (this took 2 hours and 20 minutes). The chicken fried steak was burnt to the point I could not eat it. I will say other people in our party had issues with extremely slow service also. Needless to say, I will not be returning for any reason and I will let everyone I know not to go there. By the way, this is the first review I have ever made and I am 64 years young.

Great food! Great people! The owners are friendly and take pride in their restaurant and dishes…read more It's also a great place for music on the weekends. They have lunch specials and their chicken fried steak is soooo good!

O Ambiance is…read morewonderful Location in Riverside park and on the River is Great Food is amazing. I appreciate the owners revitalizing an old structure, and making it awesome.

I was on town for work and we stumbled across this place - turns out it was a good find!…read more Beautiful palatial looking building with classic decor inside! Definitely a ladies who lunch type of place and with that the service, though lovely was slow but for a lot of the guests, it probably lends to a leisurely lunch experience. Food was very impressive - their fried pickle dip is absolutely delicious!! Loved it and will have to try and find a way to replicate it with a lighter version - it's a must have if you like pickles. Then enjoyed the fish tacos that were so good! Blackened Mahi Mahi that was cooled perfectly and a delicious spicy cabbage slaw!! Fantastic! Definitely worth seeking out this unexpected gem in Victoria.