The people giving Underwoods less than 4 stars know nothing about good old fashioned Texan comfort food. Please name any family owned and operated restaurant that has been in business over 70 years that isn't any good. They are very few and far between and this surely isn't one of them. You just need to know their BBQ is not that good except for the half chickens (which are very similar to those served at Coopers BBQ in Llano). The CFS and fried chicken are both very good and the vegetables are a lot tastier than any other in similar restaurant/cafeterias. And it's all fairly priced. This place really deserves four stars but I gave it five to counter all the uneducated 1 and 2 star reviews. I've been eating here at least once a year since about 1965. Our high school baseball team (Southwest Rebels-Ft. Worth 1970-1973) would eat here on baseball tournaments EVERY night. Three or four meals here every year. This is THE place where all travelling high school teams would eat meals when playing Brownwood High School. All the kids loved playing at Brownwood! Hopefully my son's baseball team will stop here on their way from Austin (Westlake Chaps) to Lubbock for a tournament this weekend! read more

Not the type of Texas bbq I'm used to since it comes wet, but it isn't that bad. Limited selection of meats (beef, ribs, baked chicken, fried chicken, fish and chicken fried steak). Pick one and help yourself to the sides you want. Each plate end up being around $11-12. Find a seat once you've paid. People will come by to offer more bread and refill teas. read more

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This restaurant has very great food I'll go there when I get a chance I from out of town so it be when I come back

A shall stop! Great food, extremely friendly staff and all at a very good price! W stop here every chance we get while driving to Austin from Abilene. Never disappointed! read more

Went to Underwood's Cafe today in Brownwood. I know I have been to an Underwood's at some time of my life. However, when I walked in, it was like I went back to the late 60's or early 70's! Grabbed some catfish and shrimp for lunch, all the veggies you wanted and then you could grab peach, apple or cherry cobbler too. Now for the thing I forgot about, there was a lady in the dinning room with a cart with tea, coffee etc...and much to my delight she asked "would you like some fresh whipped cream for your cobbler?" Almost kissed her on the mouth. About 15 to 20 min into our meal, a guy came out of the kitchen with additional hot rolls if we wanted some. Not sure if I was pleasantly pleased with the food or the customer service. A little of both. I think I will go back. read more

We stopped on the way though town. We use to have Underwood's in Arlington, so we stopped for nostalgia reasons. The only good I can say is the rolls were very good. This had to be the worst BBQ I've ever had. If we had not moved on down the road I think we would have asked for our money back. There were so many what the heck is this meat parts my wife couldn't eat it. The sauce was just beef juice. I hope it was just us. read more

Great pork ribs...so so mashed potatoes and awful cole slaw.. Mike's chicken was good. Cafeteria style plenty of parking read more

My wife had the baked chicken. She said was cooked to perfection. I know because she kept yumming between each bite. I had the fried chicken and it was tasty as well, but the topper was the peach cobbler. The best I've had since Granny's so many years ago. The staff was friendly and the service was wonderful. Just exactly what we hoped for. read more

We live 4 hours from Underwood's. We make the drive about once a month because the food is excellent. The BBQ Beef Steak is not to be found anywhere else that I have found and it is great. So tender and tasty. We always get two large family orders to go and take it back home to enjoy now and freeze some for later.. I alway get at least 2 quarts of the potato salad and can make a meal out of it on some days. It is unique potato salad found nowhere else. Wish the ones in Ft. Worth and Abilene were still around. read more

The only cafeteria style restaurant in town. Always hot and delicious food and oh my goodness the cobbler is fantastic! No matter what you order it's all good! read more

Worth the trip no matter how far you drive. It's like a dream. Beef steak melts in your mouth, all you can carry in one trip through the buffet/cafeteria line for one price, including mashed potatoes, gravy, baby carrots, potato salad, green beans, corn, cole slaw and more. Heavenly hot rolls brought to your table throughout the meal and topped off with choice of cobbler for dessert!! read more

Definitely not worth the visit. Unsalted canned food for 13 dollars a plate. The one good thing is the bread.

I recently ordered from Underwood's Online store to have their food shipped. When the food arrived it did not have what I *thought* I had ordered. I reached out to have the situation rectified, and after a bit of miscommunication Paul got everything fixed and went out of his way to provide great customer service. Long story short, I very much appreciate the effort he put forth. I grew up with Underwoods and love the food. read more

Too expensive for what they have. There grilled flat steak is to me a mystery meat. The barbeque sandwich is great, sliced brisket,rolls.and deserts are great. read more

Best Fried Chicken in town, hot rolls and 3 kinds of cobbler. Underwood's has been a staple in Brownwood for as long as I can remember.

Old favorite for large crowds and fried chicken, roll & cobbler take out! Rolls are passed out with real butter in dining room. Yumma!

I didn't know what to expect since I had only heard from my hubby about the food and the last time he was there eons ago. When I first walked in I saw a snake line almost to the door but no worries, it goes fast. Then they ran out of little bowls for the sides, no worries, you can put them on your plate if you didn't want to wait. Then you have to find a table but no worries there either because most people found one straight away, we did. The food was OMG good! Down home cooking, seasoned not over the top allowing you to season to taste. I don't know what they put in the corn but it is oh so good. If I'm ever passing through Brownwood TX I will definitely stop here again. Geez the fried chicken look amazing! That's what I'll get next time? Good food, good price, friendly employees! You can't beat that! read more

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Mama Underwood's Fried Chicken! Fresh Rolls + Tea 'refilled' at your seat during meal. LOVE this place, great old-school atmosphere. Known for their Cobbler, but I didn't try it,... cause i have just never been a fan of Cobbler. read more

The rolls are most delicious when they are piping hot. It's cafeteria style, which basically means you put as much of everything on your plate for one price. Yum. Waiters come around often to offer fresh rolls or cream for the cobbler. I personally don't care for the cobbler much, but others like it. read more

Underwood's Cafeteria - Beef steak with many sides - Barbeque Near Me - Brownwood, Texas

Food is delicious (everything)! Anything barbecued does not disappoint! Homemade potato salad was divine.

Dont understand the appeal. Food is average at best. They use to bring you hot rolls and honey to the table which was my favorite part...guess no more. Also expensive for what I got read more

My husband's grandfather sold Mr. Underwood the land where the restaurant now exists. Excellent childhood memories, excellent food!

If there was a way to give negative stars I would. As another reviewer said had I went to the restroom before getting food I would have walked out. Restrooms were disgusting ...no soap...no paper towels and green mold around the faucets and toilets. The fried chicken was okay but as others said it was nothing to write home about. The mashed potatoes tasted like they were instant and the sides were cold and bland. I had to walk out and leave my husband at the table to finish his water. I can't believe the health department has n't shut this place down. The one positive was the service The beverage cart attendant was "Johnny on the spot" and friendly as were the servers. If I ever drive through Brownwood again I definitely will not stop there. read more

What a throwback to the glory days of Texas cafeterias! Our group thoroughly enjoyed the home cooking and extremely helpful employees. Our faves were fried chicken, fresh yeast rolls, warm cobbler, and potato salad. Decor hasn't been updated since opening in 1940's, but that's part of the charm. Will definitely go back when in Brownwood. read more

Small Town restaurant with West Texas hospitality. Meat looks underwhelming. But sides/pie/drinks are unlimited! Mashed potatoes were pretty good, but the rolls were heavenly soft and light! Pie was... alright. $12-15 a plate and you will be full! Try it once. read more

Their sign say BBQ. So I go in and ask if their ribs are barbecued, they say absolutely, so I order them and get they rest of my food, green beans and coleslaw. The green been are canned, and way over cooked with no flavor. The coleslaw is mediocre at best, and the ribs? Boiled mush. These are not barbecued. YUK. What opened to being honest. I'll not return because of the lack of quality and honesty. read more

Not changed except in quality since years ago. Canned green beans! Not worth the trip

Disappointing, for the second time this year. The price has been raised to $13 and altho it can be said that it is still a bargain since the drink and tip are included, it is still pretty high, especially for lunch. I wish there was a smaller 'seniors plate' with a half serving of meat. I notice that there are lots of seniors who frequent Underwoods & this would probably fill up their dining room if they offered it.That being said, the rolls, cobbler, & BBQ that I had were tasty. The service is friendly, excellent attention to extra rolls, cream on your cobbler, etc. On another note, the restrooms could use more attention & were not as clean as they should have been. read more

I've been stopping here one trips between Austin and Lubbock for over 20 years. We go out of our way to make sure we delay meals as needed to make sure we eat at Underwood's. Generous unlimited sides and cobbler. They walk around with extras of the amazing yeast rolls and with scoops of whipped cream for you cobbler and/or coffee! read more

Talk about made from scratch home made. Mama Underwoods fried chicken juicy and crispy at the same time. The onion rings were HUGE. The fries crispy and delicious. They make their own ketchup. Not bottled but fresh made. I had heard it was vinegary in the past but it was right on point today. The staff comes around with refills and more hot rolls. Those rolls are piping hot and soft and tasty. The cobbler (I had apple) that was hot and tasty with a deep crust. Down home goodness. read more

It's a descent value. If your looking for really great BBQ this isn't the spot to go to. They've been in business for a long time and that's actually saying something because nothing sticks around here read more

really yummy food. highly recommend. i love this place. it's the best place to go to in Brownwood.

I can't believe some of the reviews here, especially the one lamenting that Underwood's is a (gasp!!) CAFETERIA! What the hell did you think it was? The pope is Catholic, Texas is big and it will be more than 100 degrees in July. And Underwood's always has been, and always will be (I hope) a bbq cafeteria. Thank God for that. Our family (3 generations) has been eating at Underwoods for more than 50 years -- all over the State when they had branched out, now just in Brownwood when we get anywhere close to there. I don't think the food has changed. The smashed bbq steak is still as it ever was, the fresh-made rolls still melt in your mouth, and the waitress still brings around real whipped cream to put on your cobbler. Change is good in many areas, but not when it comes to bbq cafeterias. There's only one left that I know of, and this is it. My wife once drove me 2 hours from Austin to Brownwood to eat at Underwood's for my birthday. I'd rather eat there anytime than any of the trendy Austin bbq places. I'm just glad the Brownwood Underwoods is still open, and I hope it never changes. read more

My wife and I have been driving through Brownwood for over 10 years now. We go through it on the way to Lubbock every time. We see the billboards for Underwood's Bar-B-Q miles out as we head into Brownwood going both directions. Hot Rolls. Cobbler. We actually stopped in once, and for some reason, we changed our mind and left. When we pass through Brownwood, it is not during lunch or dinner time. On this day we left Lubbock early so we could make it to Underwood's around noon. When we got there, the parking lot was crowded. We had failed to beat the church crowd. The line was out the door. I am used to seeing lines at BBQ joints so it did not faze me it all. I forgot to take a picture of the menu when I was in line. Sorry. The restaurant is set up like a cafeteria. You order your protein and then grab everything else you need after. There was no brisket on the menu?! I was thoroughly perplexed that a barbecue restaurant in the state of Texas that did not have brisket on their menu. They had sliced beef on the menu which they call beef steak. The "steak" came from the shoulder of the cow. I ordered the beef steak and half rib slab combo dinner. I also added a link of the German-style sausage. My wife got the fried chicken. Included with the dinner were unlimited sides, rolls, cobbler, and drinks. The beef steak was cooked in barbecue sauce. It was tender and tasted like I was eating chopped beef but was also dry. I am not sure this piece of meat touched a smoker. I thought I saw some grill marks on it though. The ribs were not half of a rib slab. It was three ribs. They were also cooked in sauce. These for sure were done in the oven. They were tender and juicy but bland. The sausage was okay. It was really fatty and rich with a nice pop. I got a side of potato salad, corn, beans, and coleslaw. They were all forgettable. I would venture to say some of it came from a can. I tried some my wife's fried chicken. It was the best thing there. It was crispy and juicy. I am not a sweets type of guy so I skipped out on the cobbler. Underwood's Bar-B-Q fails as a Texas barbecue joint. No brisket at a barbecue restaurant in the state of Texas. Bah humbug. The sliced beef option on their menu online threw me off. I assumed it was brisket. Boy I was wrong. Underwood's is the Furr's of barbecue. A cafeteria style diner serving tasteless food. There was a sign outside saying it was "The Best Eatin' in Town." I hope that is not correct. After driving past here for the last decade without eating, I wish the streak had continued. read more

This is the quintessential Brownwood eatery.... if you eat one place in Brownwood this is it. The Underwood family has been serving up their unique version of Texas barbeque for as long as I can remember. It is a venerable Brownwood institution and well worth a visit. read more

Love the veggies, bread, desserts, chicken fried steak. BBQ is terrible, not sure why they call it BBQ, its not

I LOVE it here! When my husband and I first went to Underwoods we did not speak to one another for 20 minutes because we were chowing down on our food. The fried chicken is amazing and every side is incredibly delicious. I have tried all of the cobblers and they are all great. Servers walk around with fresh hot rolls all the time so there is no shortage on amazing rolls. I definitely recommend Underwood's. read more

Another road trip discovery though it's kinda hard to miss the place with the giant billboards of the bow-legged cowboy and then locating the building with the giant bow-legged cowboy on top. Was disappointed to find that while the signs called it a BBQ, it is in fact a cafeteria. Which isn't to say that the meat wasn't smoked...somewhere, but when I got to it, it was sitting in a steam tray behind glass. Bummer. Bigger bummer: after I picked the last of the ribs from one steamer tray, another tray was replenished with still-bubbling chicken-fried steaks. Well, it probably bought me another couple of minutes with a healthy ticker, but still - it's not the best way to get good food. I mean, clearly, nothing is made to order and what you want and what is freshest might not sync. Anyway, one of us had the pork ribs and the other went with the BBQ beef steak. Ribs were the winner but that's not to say they were awesome. Just OK. The sides were free and limitless, though also not impressive. Canned green beans and corn, powdered mashed potatoes (that were well-seasoned but still: powdered), flavorless beans, pickled okra and all the yeast rolls your heart can handle. But oddly, no real butter. What's that about? All this fattening food and little pats of margarine. I don't understand the reasoning. Also free: peach, cherry, and apple cobbler. Not much to write home about there either, though. But the price was right and I was more content eating a so-so meal at a local restaurant than paying twice as much for a slightly better meal at Cracker Barrel, so at least there's that. read more

First time back since college (HPU) 14 years ago, and I am so glad I didn't get scared off by the negative reviews on here. I entered with really low expectations, but was pleasantly surprised to find it exactly like I remembered it from 14 years ago. Chicken fried steak, orange potato salad, fabulous rolls served tableside, cobbler, etc, etc. I also paid $2.75 to get a sample of chopped brisket to see if that had changed, and that was as good as I remembered too! The only thing I think *may* have changed is the BBQ sauce being a tad bit more watery, but I am not sure. Will keep coming here when we are in (or near) town! read more

The last time I ate at this restaurant I vomited the entire three hour trip home. I am not able to even stand the smell of this place. The food is extremely overrated. It is very greasy. If you wish to clog your arteries, vomit, or at the very least have grease rise up in your throat all night than this is the place to go! read more