Hill Country Cupboard

American restaurant · Johnson City

Hill Country Cupboard

American restaurant · Johnson City

1

101 US-281 281 Loop, Johnson City, TX 78636

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Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null
Hill Country Cupboard by null

Highlights

Homestyle American plates served all day in rustic surrounds with a full bar, pool table & karaoke.  

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101 US-281 281 Loop, Johnson City, TX 78636 Get directions

thehillcountrycupboard.com

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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101 US-281 281 Loop, Johnson City, TX 78636 Get directions

+1 830 868 4625
thehillcountrycupboard.com
HillCountryCupboard

$10–20 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

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Where to Eat and Drink in Johnson City, Texas

"This Johnson City staple cheekily claims to have sold “nearly three dozen” of its “world-famous chicken-fried steak.” Swing by this over-40-year-old institution for Southern fare and hospitality, as well as all-day breakfast. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are indoor dine-in services." - Darcie Duttweiler

https://austin.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-johnson-city-texas-hill-country-where-to-eat-blanco-county
View Postcard for Hill Country Cupboard

Harold Love

Google
This place gave me “Ole Fashion Diner” vibes. It was a nice nostalgic atmosphere. The staff is very nice and welcoming. The location is perfect, you can’t miss it. Has wonderful merchandise, decor, and beautiful dessert. We ordered the Quick Breakfast and the Omelet with Pancakes. We completely devoured the food. A food coma was in our near future. If you’re looking for a place to have a Classic Hill Country Breakfast, then make your way to Hill Country Cupboard. You will not be disappointed.

Kimberly McGrew

Google
I loved the chicken fried steak. Most places don’t make it where the breading STICKS to the meat!!! And it was well seasoned! Also had the Texas Sized Mimosa, as I was there for breakfast. Everything was great! Very well priced and they have tap to pay.

James Bauernfeind

Google
Much older place, but they have a good selection of food. All day breakfast, good prices, and good taste. We are here Christmas Eve on the way home, and very few places are open, but this place was a good stop. Initially service was good, and food came out quickly... But we had to wait for a while to get the check. All in all, if we are in the area again, I would stop here again to try other things.

Pam Kenitzer

Google
Sonya is the best waitress!! Love her sense of humor and her mom is pretty awesome too! The food is great down home cooking, the mimosas are the yummiest!

Christina Simmons

Google
Classic scratch cooking diner: We ordered the breakfast taco with potatoes, bacon, and cheese, a pancake, chicken fried steak and biscuit. Food was fresh and delicious, tasted home made. Service was welcoming and warm. Dark inside but with rural charm.

Todd Rumbach

Google
The claim of best Chicken Fried Steak is spot on. It's absolutely glorious. Slayton (like Clayton but better) is an amazing server, super personable without being weird. IFYKYK. You would be hard pressed to find a better dining experience. Run, don't walk here and thank me later.

Penny Tardie

Google
I am from Louisiana vacationing and when I travel, I like to go to places that the locals would go and try to stay clear of chain restaurants. This is a place where the locals go for good food! The atmosphere was rustic and eclectic with a vintage vibe. The service was good; however, refills on soft drinks are not free just FYI. The food was amazing and probably one of the best meals my husband and I ate since visiting Texas. We both had the Rooster sandwich with fries and honestly the sandwich was so huge we could have split the meal! The chicken was so crispy and juicy ( it could have used more seasoning, but I am from Louisiana and love spice) the bread was so crisp it elevated the sandwich to the next level! I had to stop myself from eating so I wouldn't be miserable but it was one of those meals that was so good you just want to eat it! 😋 💯 worth the stop! Their sign says they are famous for their chicken fried steak and if it's anything like the Rooster, I believe it!

Zippy

Google
Good food and friendly staff right off the highway. Generous Chicken Fried Steaks and Chickens
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Steve G.

Yelp
Had to stop in here based on the sign that said they had the world's best chicken fried steak. Everyone agreed that it was good, but maybe it's the best in South Texas... Lol! I had the hamburger steak covered with mushrooms, onions, and jalapeño peppers and cheese, which was fabulous! Good mashed potatoes and green beans too. This is a great place to have lunch. They also serve breakfast all day.
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Jo I.

Yelp
This is a little jewel in Blanco, the pizza and huge meatballs were delicious. Staff was so friendly and our food was served very warm! Oh, the bread knots are delicious too!

DeAnna G.

Yelp
Overall, bad experience. Ordered an omelette with veggies and meats. Took forever to get my food. Once received I cut down in the middle and it was just cheese. Told the waiter where is my veggies and meats. Well..... he took it and brought it back after 10 mins later. Well instead of recutting the omelette and reheating the omelette. They just stuffed the veggies but still no meats. After that, I lost my appetite. Poor service. This place is a negative star.
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Ilsa S.

Yelp
Absolutely a must try!! You have to taste the fried pork chop! You will not be disappointed!! They close at 3 so stop in for lunch or an early but definitely stop in!!
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Kei S.

Yelp
We had a mimosa, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast tacos.... And MAN!!!! The taco was was PACKED and so great. The mimosa was larger but was generally just alright. Cool that they tip the bottle over into it! Our server had the best attitude and was a (friendly) banter expert and made our time here so fun! Though it was early and a little loud... it was still fun :)

Suzzie B.

Yelp
Great food and service! Sandra was an excellent waitress and Sol made amazing food. Highly recommend the chicken fried steak and peach tea. My family and I are happy we stopped, and will be doing so again the next time we travel through Johnson City.
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Chris C.

Yelp
Just another amazing find during our camping trips. This time a family friendly spot that serves breakfast all day, they do close mid-afternoon though.... The staff is friendly, attentive, and responsive. The menu selection is good without being overwhelming and the servings are large and delicious. Don't expect upscale, this place is definitely a family run business vibe and clean. I can see why they've been around for 40 years.
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Peter B.

Yelp
Stopped for lunch and wow was I surprised by a really great lunch. We had the grilled cheese on Texas toast (grilled onions mushrooms tomatoes with jalapeños) and the chicken fried steak. Service was terrific, we felt well cared for. We got brownies for later since lunch was so filling. They were fantastic! So glad we happened by this place.

Jerry S.

Yelp
Stopped in for lunch on a Sunday after the lunch crowd so place wasn't too busy. Thought we might get quick service, but it was not to be. Long wait for waitress to take our order. Food came quick enough and it was hot so that was good. Wife got catfish and I got chicken fried steak. Catfish was rather bland but her okra side was great. Now for the 'world's best chicken fried steak'. Well it didn't live up to that. A thin tough cut of meat and the batter was bland. Gravy was ok though. Then we waited for the check, another long wait. Never saw our waitress, so had to flag down a different one who took care of us. So in summary- just average food and slow service. Maybe just caught them on a bad day!
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Kenton H.

Yelp
Fair warning: If you're looking for boutique coffee, NYC-style brunch, & a corporate-trained waitstaff... go further into town or to Fredericksburg. 2nd visit this year and the excitement to return did not leave us disappointed. We enjoy reading the negative reviews for this unique place and find them ironic compared to our 2 visits, even as obvious out-of-towners. I'd hate to ever see this place too packed with 290 wine tour types to have a table ourselves, but our 2 satisfying experiences this year deserved a sincere 5 star review.
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Penelope R.

Yelp
Love this little place! Great food and perfect service. Sonya (pronounced Sawynya) is very entertaining and sweet!
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Paul S.

Yelp
For as long as we waited in an empty place at least the food could have been hot. No kids menu. We do have have smaller portion of chicken pieces, no give us the chicken platter. Well hell, that's just a bigger portion of leftover chicken nibs. Fries are pieces of fries and were cold. The hamburger is dripping out mustard. I really don't think this is real cheese on the burger. This place SUCKS! Too bad they survived Covid

T T.

Yelp
The food was good but the service was excellent! Our waitress was very personable and funny! She could moonlight as a comedian.

Rebecca B.

Yelp
Had breakfast. Biscuits and sausage gravy were good. Bacon eggs wheat toast and pancake were good. Got busy and took a while to get check. All in all a good breakfast. Never did see the name of the restaurant on a sign. Put it in your gps on phone to find it.

Jack M.

Yelp
My wife, son and I stopped by for lunch for our first time. We each had one of their crafted margaritas which were one of the best we have ordered anywhere. Lunch was excellent. Then my wife and I came back 3 days later for dinner. We each ordered a crafted margarita, still wonderful, and each had the top sirloin dinner. All were absolutely amazing. Can't wait to come back. Jmorgan

Bob K.

Yelp
In plain words, I left this restaurant pissed off that I had spent $50 and got nothing. My wife had the pork chops I had the chicken fried steak. The meat in these portions was no more than 1/8 of an inch thick covered with lots of tasteless batter. The gravy was not much more than paste. Absolutely no taste. Do not waste your time here go down to the pecan Street brewery and have a decent meal. A message for the owner rather than making the dish appear to have a big steak double the thickness and cut it in half, where at least you'll have some meat to taste. I would never ever darken the doors to this place again.
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Vince A.

Yelp
I probably should have realized that if the parking lot is empty during the morning rush hour, the locals probably don't like it here. The food was sub-par and way over priced. On top of that they got my order wrong.
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James M.

Yelp
Subtle location simple, but easy to access. Menu states biscuits and pancakes made fresh daily, no doubt so soft and tasty. Gravy just the right amount of sausage and seasoning. Portion definitely generous, left very satisfied. A must stop when passing through the hill country y of Texas.

Tracy S.

Yelp
Good chicken fried steak, good breakfast. Friendly staff. I certainly recommend if you're looking for a good CFS.
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Sunny S.

Yelp
Chicken fried steak!! Small town great eats!!! Great service, friendly and fast They know what they are doing!!!
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Blanca M.

Yelp
Place was empty. Waiter took 15 minutes to get us WATER. Than when we finally got the food. My husband chicken fried steak has a long hair sticking out of it. We returned it. Already my husband was grossed out but he thought well ok. Let see if they clean it out. Well guess again. Another hair was in the fries. Showed waiter again and left food and walked away. Have never gone back.
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Nicole R.

Yelp
Judged this place alittle when we parked. It wasn't really busy while other places were packed. Honestly, I'm really surprised! I enjoyed it here...and as we sat, more and more people came in. They did mention they are short staffed so you have to call in the parking lot before they can seat you...that must be why it seemed dead. Anyway, my husband had the country fried steak and I had the country fried chicken. The chicken was delicious! Juicy, and golden crispy! The potatoes were soooooo good! Seasoned perfectly. I didn't care for the green beans, kind of tasted like they came straight from a can and not even salted....however, I won't take a star from it because I did really love the rest of the meal and the staff was so friendly!
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Erica R.

Yelp
We ordered very basic foods! Can't go wrong with what we ordered but it was good! Their pancake is worth a try too! Not pictured. But it doesn't need any syrup. Very tasty. We also got blackberry cobbler. Of course, amazing with ice cream!
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Charles O.

Yelp
The food is sub par and the service was even worse. The a/c must be broken is was so hot inside
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Regina N.

Yelp
We stopped here for breakfast on our way out of town. It was clean and we had a great breakfast.
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Cindy B.

Yelp
Enjoyed a nice lunch yesterday. Service was slow,but meal was good. Ordered 2 peach turnovers to go. Heated them up later only to discover 2 slices of peaches in each turnover. We paid a high price for pie crust. Check your to-go's at this place.

Sandy L.

Yelp
My husband loves good country cafes. Me not so much but I go to please him. We finally stopped here after traveling by it 2-3 times a month. This time even he was disappointed and said he would not return. The scrambled eggs were under cooked, the hash browns and country potatoes were only slightly cooked and the food was not hot. Their country fried steak (best in the world) was mediocre at best with little to no seasoning. And the prices were extremely high. A three egg omelet with cheese and ham was $14.99. The only nice thing I can say about this cafe is the server who was extremely busy but delightful. It's best to drive a little further to the Bluebonnet Cafe which is a lot cheaper and typically the food is hot and completely cooked.

Rick N.

Yelp
This place is absolutely DISGUSTING. We had roaches crawling on the wall and even had a roach jump on our table. I couldn't eat the food. The bathroom toilets were clogged and filthy. I'm not sure how they are even licensed to sell/prepare food. The waitress did take 15% off our food due to the roaches. That was nice.

Dan P.

Yelp
Great place for breakfast! Friendly and fast service, excellent food. Reasonably priced.
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Holly K.

Yelp
I know they're short staffed but why we were sat at a table and another family sat after us were served drinks and order taken and we were left sitting with no one waiting on us. I guess only locals are welcome here so if you're out of town visiting don't bother.
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Zoe M.

Yelp
Average-ish. They seemed quite short-staffed so I'm sure they were doing their best. Didn't get the toast until we were done and it was the wrong toast anyway. But again, I think they were trying. A good old standby, I imagine.

Curtis W.

Yelp
Service was quick and efficient but that's about it! The special was chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn. To say it was average would b a stretch. The gravy was bland and the meat was chewy. The sweet tea was undrinkable and had a musty taste! Got Blackberry cobbler to go! For $5.29 it was about 2 large spoonfuls. Total for 2 at lunch with tip was about $50. Won't stop again.
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Joe K.

Yelp
Long wait for bad food. The refried beans and hash browns were good but everything else was terrible. Took way longer than normal for our food to arrive but I'm sure they are understaffed like everyone else in this 'Build Back Better' era. The migas were beyond terrible. The menu listed bell peppers. Bell peppers do not belong in migas. I requested jalapeños instead. The dish came with pickled jalapeños. Yuk. Wrong. There were no corn tortilla chips in the eggs. We had one cold pancake, one cold biscuit on the side, very undercooked bacon and undercooked sausage in the gravy. The iced tea had a foul taste and the coffee was weak and flavorless. The breakfast potatoes were not sufficiently browned. The servers there were working hard and bussing tables. Sad. I left a hood tip. I don't see how this place stays open with a dysfunctional kitchen. It's not that hard to cook breakfast.
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Tina W.

Yelp
Terrible service since we were not locals. The waitress had an attitude. Food took forever and my hamburger was still mooing at me on my plate. My husband had burnt toast and uncooked hash browns. We have been driving by the place for almost 20 years and decided to stop today and I am regretting that we did. Poor service and I know that the place is always crowded but I would have been better off stopping at the side of the road and grazing the grass than the nasty food that is served here.
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Buddy J.

Yelp
Passing through Johnson City Tx today we stopped at Hill Country Cupboard. Great place with a fantastic menu. I had the special of the open face turkey sandwich with dressing and gravy. I have to say that everything was the best I've ever had. My only regret is I didn't have room to hold it all. Stop by you won't regret it.
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Dane S.

Yelp
If you are looking for lattes, quinoa pancakes, and Açaí berry granola bowls, you are in the wrong restaurant. Make a left on Hwy 290, Austin is about 40 miles that way. HCC reminds me of the country restaurants my grandfather took me to as a child in the 1960s and '70s. You can smell homemade biscuits when you walk in. Staff was super friendly and attentive. Never had an empty coffee cup. I ordered the Saturday Blue Plate Special. Chicken fried steak, hash browns, 2 eggs, and a biscuit. All the food was cooked perfectly and tasted great. The experience brought back good memories. Looking forward to my next trip through Johnson City. Definitely on my 'Keepers List'.
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Brenda B.

Yelp
Stopped here for breakfast because it was pretty good 2 years ago, Big mistake! We waited for them to open, nobody else was there. I ordered eggs over medium husband over easy, his were raw mine were barely over easy and everything was stone cold! Pre made warmed up sausage patty, hash browns not even browned. I was a breakfast cook for a long time and there is no excuse for putting out a breakfast like that, especially when you aren't even busy! I told the waitress I couldn't eat it and sent back all but 2 bites and was still charged full price! Disgusting place, will never go back!

Ashley S.

Yelp
Manager is downright a miserable person. Long wait and rude service. Don't waste your time and money.

Cas ..

Yelp
I don't even know where to start . First off they charged around $ 4.00 per food item such as a single egg or pancake . Don't let the edited pictures to make their food look better fool you it is horrid. The egg they charged so much for came un-seasoned and felt like water . The pancake was stuck to the plate and falling apart. They charged around $14 dollars for a single pancake and 2 pieces of frozen sausage you could have gotten a whole pack of sausage for the price . You would think the waiter would at-least tell you about the prices yet they did not , the 3 piece dish was counted as separated items on the actual bill . The order for 6 people , 2 adults , 3 kids and 1 baby was $80 for us to receive bad tasting and looking food . The baby even refused to eat anything and solely drank the apple juice . As a restaurant they should have a kids menu , which they do not . Im annoyed at the fact they overpriced horrid food . The waiter neglected to even mention some things on the menu did not come together and we're going to be priced separately . Their "excuse" was prices have gone up . Yes they have gone up but not for how much they say they have . I have members that work in the industry and they charge less then them for a actual meal. I was wondering how they were even staying "alive" based on how the place looked and now I see that they over charge people and use excuses to aid them . The waiters then thought it was a funny ordeal that it was so overpriced and we were obviously upset. They continued to talk about it and when I looked at them they looked away and turned to a opposite side to continue talking . I'm not dumb . I also feel the need to mention that they put a tax because of "6" people . Sorry , didn't know a 10 month old would be counted as a full person and a few other kids . In all this place can burn along with the money they scammed people out of .

Benjamin S.

Yelp
This diner has great service and excellent food. I had delicious pancakes and a fried egg while my son had biscuits and gravy. Biscuits were fluffy enough not to get soggy. Did not try the pies, but they have a good selection. Definitely recommended.
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James F.

Yelp
I once told a local I ate at Hill Country Cupboard on the way out to somewhere and he checked my pulse to see if I was alive. Perhaps the locals have seen the ups and downs of the restaurant over the years. They also jokingly claim to have sold more than 3 dozen of their famous chicken fried steaks. Think I've had one for breakfast....don't remember any complaints. Best ever? Ehhh. I'm not the guy to judge that. Stopped by for a snack (onion rings) on the way back from Texas Gun Fest in Liberty Hill. Never had the pie which made Texas Monthly's top pies circa 2008 for their cherry recipe. Sometime last year circling among all the other ideas in my head I envisioned a hill country pie crawl. It came to fruition on Texas Independence day weekend 2018 when I led 15 cars for now coined "Sugar Rush Saturday" The event was so popular that three out of the four Miata clubs in Texas were represented. Delegations from DFW, Austin, and San Antonio did the parade downtown and then headed to Marble Falls to start eating pie! HCC was the second stop on the list; we had such a big party that we were seated in the adjacent bar that occupies the left side of the building. Service was stellar; one kid taking drink orders while another lady took food orders. Some chose to order lunch instead after having pie at the first stop. I having some lunch at the previous stop opted for a glass of milk and a slice of buttermilk pie. Crust was thicker than I expected which is the reason this place beat nearby Bluebonnet Cafe as they use food service pre-made crusts. Could have been a tiny bit thinner; but the taste along with the temp (slightly chilled) were excellent bites. Just like I would have on the ranch.

Stephen R.

Yelp
Despite the restaurant being extremely slow (1-2 other customers), we waited 15 minutes and no one took our order. I know costs are rising, but the prices were also rather silly (higher than Austin prices). $3 to add spinach to an omlette, $6 to add spinach and tomato, $9 to add spinach, tomato and one meat. We were not even offered anything to drink (water, or coffee would have been nice).
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J A.

Yelp
This was my first time getting locked in to a restaurant! Usually it's against fire code to lock people inside, but not here. Weird, but whatever. Maybe they're afraid of covid. Food was fine. Not great, but... yeah. Just meh. Waitress was pretty rude, but I think she was trying to be funny? Who knows.
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MaryLou D.

Yelp
I haven't reviewed this yet? I guess I thought I had. When I was in Austin for my grandson's High School graduation 4 years ago we stopped at this place on the way to the Lavender Festival in Blanco. Everyone loved it good home-cooked comfort food. Very family-friendly. When I came back to Austin last month for my grandson's graduation from UT I asked my daughter if she wanted to go to the Lavender Festival again and she said yes. Again, we stopped at this restaurant and had a good meal. The service was friendly, the atmosphere is rustic and the outhouse in the modern restroom is a crack-up. If you're on the road and pass by here I recommend stopping in.
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Dondrea S.

Yelp
Well....we were starving and wanted to sit and enjoy a meal. I never have to come here again. My hunny ordered the "famous" chicken fried steak. The meat tasted like it was old and starting to ferment . Makes you wonder if they really have just sold three dozen . Buy new meat folks! I ordered a simple quick breakfast egg sausage hash brown and pancake. The pancake was dry sucked up the syrup so fast. The sausage also had an "I'm going bad" taste in the center. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. What didn't help was the fact that it was FREEZING in there. It was warmer outside at 46 degrees. The ladies were kind and attentive.
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Julie B.

Yelp
Not my kind of place. I'm a cook, so....food has to be good, and it wasn't. I'm sure a lot of older locals enjoy it here. But we did not. The people working were really nice.
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Carol F.

Yelp
Outstanding breakfast and service! Service is friendly, proactive, and prompt. We had breakfast burritos, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and a piece of buttermilk pie. They were all fabulous. Go check this place out.

Brian T.

Yelp
This is pretty much what you'd expect from a small town Texas eatery. Barbed wire, tin beer adverts, and old farm implements decorate the walls. The chicken fried steak ticks pretty much every box on my scorecard. It was delicious and huge. The fried okra was very fresh, and the fried potatoes were a worthy accompaniment to my steak and gravy. Peach cobbler was surprisingly not a sugar bomb and was comforting going down. Service was friendly but definitely on the slow side. If you're not in a big hurry this place will fill you up right.
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N C.

Yelp
My wife and I stopped here for lunch on our way home from Fredericksburg. They have signs on the building instructing you to call before entering (door is locked). I called them and they immediately answered the phone. We were told to have our masks on before she would open the door. The woman came to the door using a wipe to open the door and told us to use their hand sanitizer before sitting. It's a bit overkill, but this tells me something about the restaurant's desire to keep their establishment clean with or without a pandemic. Not bad for a small country town restaurant. We were greeted immediately by our waitress. My wife and I both ordered the chicken fried steak. It wouldn't say it was the best I've ever had, but it was pretty good. The crust would fall apart when you cut into the steak. This is something I hate. However, the taste was good. My side of onion rings were very good as well. We both had salads and they were fresh. Service was top notch as well. We bought a couple of cookies for the road trip home. Just a hour into the drive we discovered they were stale. Oh well, at least our lunch was good. We'd still stop at Hill Country Cupboard if passing thru.

Mari T.

Yelp
We stopped here on our way home. Slayton provided excellent customer service and the food was delicious! We all had breakfast items and no complaints. We will be coming back soon.