Proof & Cooper BBQ and American

Solid BBQ if you are going through Johnson City. We went for a weekend trip and decided to stop by here for dinner - and we liked it overall! The meat definitely has good flavor, but it was a little tough to chew through. However, the prices are extremely fair and the service is very good! If you are vegetarian, they offer meatless patties for their burgers which was a nice touch :)

amazing service, Brenna was excellent! we had a great time. Our drinks were on time, and made to perfection! enjoyed the food, the drinks and can't say how much of a good time we had! What an incredible town and what an incredible BBQ place this is! highly recommended! Will definitively come again!

I had the Cubano sandwich. It was great, a very healthy serving as well. We also had the chicken fried chicken. The flavor was just a bit off when paired with the gravy which was a bit in the bland side. I totally appreciated the service and friendliness of everyone on staff. We'll more than likely go there again at some point, but we'll be more selective. Recommend.

Random stop on our way home from a weekend away. We sat outside & it was lovely. Love the little shops and decor outside! Food was good. Fried pickles were great. Chicken fried steak was good and a large serving. Everyone was pleased. We'll definitely stop again on our way home next time.

Stopped in for a late Saturday lunch with the family. Relatively slow. Seated quickly, staff was friendly and quick. Food arrived in timely manner. Brisket Nachos were terrible with fatty brisket trim without much edible meat. Turkey plate was bland and dry. Kids liked the Mac n cheese but wasn't a favorite of mine and the wifes. Paid our $100 and left 85% of the food on the table. Kids and I enjoyed the arcade.

Well me and my family decided to go on random adventure out to the hill country, this place we pasted up on the drive but as we can back through again we stop here for lunch and this place is so nostalgic like a hallmark movie, very cute for the Pinterest girlys and the hungry dads and there's a little bit for everyone, i order the loaded brisket baked potato so delicious and my mother got the brisket salad very fresh. In all the ambiance was beautiful

had a nice lunch with the family and enjoyed just about everything! service was friendly and attentive. the atmosphere is simple but warm. our food seemed to take longer than expected for how quiet it was. the pickle chips were great. the bbq was a bit hit or miss though. the beans and potato salad were fine, same with the sausage. the pork ribs were tasty but the brisket was lacking flavor.

Best chili I’ve had in a long time. Reminds me of my grandma’s cooking. Will definitely visit again.

This was such a friendly place for dinner. The service was so good, and it felt like they cared about everyone who walked in the door. My parents loved their chicken fried steak and talked about it for a week seriously. Ha! Also, the peach cobbler is almost like if bread pudding and cobbler had a baby, and it's to die for! I would love to see some more vegetarian (or even vegan) options on the menu, though. We didn't know they had a shortened menu during the holidays, so I was bummed that they had taken the meatless burger option off the menu. I know that it is Johnson City, but with all the tourists, a good veg option would be really appreciated. I did have a delicious tomato soup, though. They have great drinks, too, and they had a few fun ones for the holidays. I will definitely return here with the fam when we are back in town.

I have fun here every time I go, but I haven't eaten the food, so this is just a drinks, service and ambience review. It's October, so we've been over to Proof and Cooper a couple of times for drinks and to take a run through their Haunted House, which is really great for a small town Haunted House! Run by volunteers and Proof & Cooper donates all of the proceeds from the Haunted House to the local fire station, which is really amazing community support! We had some shots and I was surprised that they didn't have a spooky cocktail/drink menu but the very attentive bartender made something up for us that we enjoyed. We took a pass through the Haunted House after drinks. Fun times!

Super tasty spot surrounded by cute shops that should not be skipped! Proof & Coopers is located off Main st, nestled in a cute Hallmark channel-esque area. All lit up for the holidays, they offer indoor and a few small outside tables. The hosts are sometimes young kids and it's cute that it seems like a family business. Neely was our server tonight and she was perfectly attentive and helpful with our party of 6. The chicken fried steak and the loaded baked potato with brisket were delicious. I love how they always have different desserts, tonights chocolate eclair cake was the perfect sweet treat ending!

My wife and I had a great experience at Proof & Cooper. We came here for some food and cocktails. We were pleasantly surprised by the Campfire Old Fashioned. Definitely a great drink choice. The venue also offered live music, which we were able to enjoy along with our beverages. It's a spacious venue and they ensure everyone who comes in has a great time.

Womp womp womp. We were excited to try this place after passing it a million times, but it definitely fell short. Lots of parking around the block, and cute little ally that the restaurant is in. Play area and everything further back. Lots of game inside, and unique ambiance. Upon arriving, we were greeted and seated quickly. The hostess didn't seem to know too much, but definitely has practiced what she has been told to say. She did put us on the quieter side with no guests yet since my daughter was sleepy when we came in, really appreciated it. Our waitress came along and just kind of seemed annoyed that we were there. We didn't take too long to decide what we wanted to eat and ordered. I ordered the 3 meat plate with potato salad and beans. The jalapeño sausage and potato salad were really good! We liked the brisket, and the pork ribs were okay. The bread seemed like it was just sitting out for a while. Beans were okay, trying to switch it out for another side that costs the same price of buying it as a side and they said they needed to charge for it....aggravating. The club sandwich was a good portion, but heavy amounts of mayo. The fried fish wasn't battered as expected and had an odd flavor. Coleslaw wasn't too great either. The kids Mac and cheese was good, and the fries came unsalted. Appreciate it, but my girl likes a little salt. No big, we added a little. Overall, don't think that I would come back honestly. May try the ice cream shop in the ally though!

Thank you Tyson for your great service. Food was super delicious. Great chips & queso with brisket. Also, my chicken fried steak was amazing!!

This place is a yearly tradition. I love the Chicken Fried Steak, and our server Neely was the best. Come see the lights, eat at Proof and Cooper, and shop. Johnson city is a gem.

We were there a Saturday night in early december, the area was very busy. Waited 20 min. Food was very good, service was good. Two issues. Restroom facilities are way too small for the size of the restaurant. One toilet was working in the mens room, urinal was blocked off, long line down the hall. Women's side was just as bad. Really no excuse for this. Second problem was not their fault, nothing they could do: parents not controlling their kids. One table had a boy about 8, he would take a bite of food and run around the room, and do that over & over. Parents made no effort to stop him.

I did not like their brisket. It was very, very, very tough. I ended up throwing it away. I will not come back to this place.

Ms. Jodi gave us excellent service. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was perfect. This place is the perfect place for great brisket, BBQ, and sides. Also the patio has room for your pooch. The food was so hot and delicious, I forgot to take pics so I know I have to come back. I had the loaded potato with brisket. I'm stuffed as the meat and potatoe were big portions.

Everything was great! Our server Darien was awesome! Dog friendly patio and watched game on outside screen. Great ambiance'

My husband and I had the pulled pork tacos and they were delicious! We were seated right away and our waitress Karen was very nice and knowledgeable about the menu. We're coming back to the area to see the Xmas lights will definitely eat here again.

Server was nice, but service was slow. Waited a long time for food and refills. Food was stale and not at correct temperature. We were so hungry by the time the food arrived, we tried to eat. Fries were cold, then we saw the kitchen staff using bare hands to put them in the baskets. Burgers were past well done and dry. Buns were burnt. Ribs were tough, and stuck to the bone. Terrible.

Would not return to this place. First, the host didn't smile at all. We asked for a table for 4. The host went to go check and didn't return for at least 5 minutes if not more. Did not apologize for the wait or explain where she disappeared to. Once we were sat, it took the server only a few minutes to greet the table. She didn't introduce herself, but she was friendly and smiled. The queso took less than 5 minutes to arrive after taking our order. But the entrees took 30 minutes to arrive after ordering. The server brought the food and asked if we needed anything. Then did not return until we were all finished eating. Had she returned during the meal, I would have addressed the issues with our food. All of it was cold. We ordered two brisket sandwiches, a pulled pork sandwich, and a kids cheese burger. One of the sandwiches had a little coleslaw on it when it was ordered with no slaw. It looked like it was put on the sandwich and then sloppily wiped off. Instead of changing the bun to a fresh one. And three out of four of us didn't like our sides. Our server should have told us that changing the sides was an up charge!! We paid $9 extra for sides. Which was the full price of the side. And the menu doesn't state there's an up charge. So we lost the side of chips it came with AND still paid an extra charge. Took 15 mins to get the check. Kids meals don't come with drinks. Never saw a manager or I would have given the feedback in person instead of leaving this review.

Nice staff. Filling portion sizes. The brisket plate, burgers & salads are always good. Family friendly.

Neely was an amazing waitress. Her personality was uplifting. Had a great time and the food was wonderful. Great time.

We finally went to see all the Christmas lights in Johnson City after putting it off for years and wanted a place for dinner. We chose here because of the reviews. My chopped brisket sandwich was 5-star. The french fries aren't better anywhere. Service was excellent, atmosphere was kid and dog friendly and great. The drink menu was impressive, even more so at 50% off on Thursdays and those we tried were very good. The only disappointment was the apple pecan salad, 2-star, maybe. Lots of lettuce a few apple slices and some pecans in the bottom. The dressing, however, was really good. We were hoping for a salad similar to those served at (the now forever closed) Centerpoint Station near San Marcos. If we hadn't ordered the salad this would be a 5-star review. All of the deserts looked good, our server recommended the carrot cake which was also excellent. We will return! Soon. We're eager to try the BBQ platters.

Came into town and we were all hungry!! Couldn't go wrong with some fried pickles and their burger with onion rings on them! Sooooo good! Our waitress was amazing, she was very thoughtful, really nice, and made great conversations!

We had the best lunch at Proof and Coopers! We were a party of 10 but they got our food out pretty quickly. I wish I would have left room for the dessert. I will be back!

The food was delicious and the service was superb. Jodi was very friendly and accommodating. I ordered the sampler plate and loved my choice of meats. The garlic sausage was delicious, the ribs were tender and the brisket was moist. I enjoyed my meal and couldn't eat it all. Large portions per usual is a thing in Texas. The restaurant is quaint and comfortable. Awesome!!!

Johnson City was a good midpoint between the folks I was meeting for lunch so, after some research, we chose Proof and Cooper as they had indoor seating (essential for Texas) BBQ, burgers and salads, and was easy to find. Got there early so I decided to have a beer. They have some good local/microbrews on draft. I got the "surprise tap " option and on this day it was Billy Jenkins Session Bock from Wild Acre in Fort Worth. Delicious dark beer. Also got a fried pickles for the table, which arrived just after everyone I was eating with arrived. I got the chopped brisket sandwich, which included an ample amount of delicious meat topped with Cole slaw. It had BBQ sauce on it, but it wasn't mixed/drenched so the taste of the brisket was still there. I'd order it again. There was also a pulled pork sandwich, a Cobb salad and a sliced brisket plate ordered and everything was tasty and there was zero issues. The restaurant is clean, modern looking and quiet. We had no problem carrying on a conversation. The waitress took good care of us. I'd recommend.

Fried pickles are to die for. Karen was amazing very friendly staff here I would recommend this place to anyone

Great place to grab a burger or sandwich while in the Texas Hill Country. Service was outstanding and was able to be served very quickly. Very comfortable and casual for a lunch break.

Cute restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Food is good and reasonable price. The meat was soft and tender and not overly saturated with strong flavor. This is the place for those that want something good, subtle and not too crazy with the flavors. Cute ice cream shops and other shopping nearby.

Good menu choices. Great prices in today's economy. Awesome thirsty Thursday drink specials.

I ordered the fried catfish lunch special. The catfish was inedible. Like a breading sponge soaked in old grease. The fish inside tasted like mud and smelled rancid. Servers are scarce and don't appear to be trained, or recruited for their personalities, to put it nicely. I lost my appetite and just left. Not coming back.

Big NOPE. Was so disappointed that there was not a good BBQ option in Johnson City! We thought this place looked gorgeous, and even had a playscape for children! Seemed like a nice spot to get a bite to eat with family after visiting the museum and we were VERY DISAPPOINTED. When you enter the establishment there is a sign for an antique shop, wood and metal work store and a sundae bar! The sundae bar was said to be renovated so it was not open, but we might go back to try that. The food: SAD. We started with the Texas Twinkies which is a JALEPENO stuffed with Brisket, cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. NO FLAVOR and looked nothing like the pictures. It looked and tasted like it was made last week and was warmed in a microwave. No flavor and the bacon was so floppy like it was boiled. To add to the disappointment the waitress forgot any plates or silverware and then got our drink order wrong and didn't bring my kids drinks I ordered, "mommy I'm thirsty!" I know honey. It was a very hot, Texas day! My husband ordered a Nashville hot chicken sandwich which came with coleslaw and fries. The waitress forgot the fries then came to the table and asked oh does that come with fries? Could have done without them as they tasted like they were straight from the freezer. My husband ordered their craft margarita- it came out in a beautiful Mexican style painted pot with straw. But tasted like straight water, total waste for $10. I asked the price of the frozen cocktails and the waitress didn't know and had to go find out. I said it's ok I'll stick to my water, which I'm glad I did because we were so unimpressed I didn't want to spend another dime there. Save your money and go to Dairy Queen.

Paying common prices but eating on "Dairy Queen" paper containers. The bar drinks are weak, if they even have the right liquor at the time. The staff is young and not professional, often seen talking amongst themselves. Really not managed well.

This was our first time here & definitely would recommend! The brisket is the best & their barbecue is amazing. We would buy it by the bottle if possible! We also tried the coffee porter & really enjoyed it. The carrot cake was pretty yummy as well

We were in the area for Father's Day and they had patio dining. We got some snacks. As we saw the menu we realized this was the same company that used to be on Hamilton Pool road. That location has since closed. This location has a larger menu. The waitress was friendly and nice. The food was a tad slow coming out but we were not in a hurry. We were visiting with family. The queso was good as were the chips. My husband had no complaints about his salad. We would defiantly eat here again.

I heard recently that Johnson City is on its way to becoming the new Fredericksburg. The restaurant scene has certainly been growing in this area, and Proof and Cooper's is a solid choice if you're out and about in Johnson City. We stumbled upon it after hiking at Pedernales state park. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Nothing fancy inside but lots of seating. We got the Monday special - buy a burger and get a beer - pretty good deal. The burgers were tasty and the fries were really well-made. I will say that service was a little lacking but I think they had more customers than they were anticipating on that day. All in all a good option in the growing Johnson city restaurant scene.

Excellent food! Superb service! Great atmosphere! It's a trifecta of perfection. India and Jodie made our visit great! Go, if you haven't been here!

What a good find for lunch!! We were passing through this city while visiting, and decided to stop here for some food. We were thoroughly surprised and happy with the food options we ordered! We ordered the Nashville hot chicken (which we felt was the best, very crispy, and flavorful), garlic Parmesan wings (Get these!!! They were soo good and we loved the melted cheese. Cooked well!), and the pulled pork (which we felt was very smoky). Our waitress was very friendly and helpful with recommendations, and we loved the Texas vibe of the restaurant! We didn't have to wait long for our food either-we went on a Sunday afternoon. Overall, would definitely stop back in and enjoyed our food!

Very poor service. We had a group of four people, so we were not a big group. We were looking for a place to have supper. The host seated us in the bar area and gave us menus. We sat there for about 5 minutes an no one came to get our order. The folks behind the bar ignored us. We went back to the host and asked for a server and he said one would be right there. We waited for another 5 minutes and no one. We stopped a bar tender and asked for a server and she said someone would be right there. Still no one came to take our order after another 10 minues. So after waiting for over 20 minutes, we left. The host made some attempt at an apology. I woud avoid this place. There are many other places in Johnson City that want to feed you good food.

I went with two friends and we shared 2 of the sampler plates, with each one coming with 3 meats, pit master beans, and potato salad. We swapped the beans on one of them for the Mac and cheese side. The max and cheese was so good that we ordered another side of it! For our meat, we got two portions of brisket, pulled pork, turkey, ham, and hot sausage. I'm not a huge pulled pork or ham person, so keep that in mind when I say those were my two least favorite- but my friends really liked it. I thought all the other meet was pretty good. My friends got (Christmas) seasonal drinks that they really liked and I was DD so I got sweet tea, which was good. I'm actually pretty picky about sweet tea lol but this met my standards. It was a lot of food and we did have leftovers but I still got a brownie, which was delicious. Would go again, for sure!

I had catfish, horrible, crust was over cooked hard as a rock and cold. The fish was warm but flavorless. The potatoes were paper thin, cold and bland. The coleslaw was decent. Tarter and cocktail sauces were awful. Totally forgettable never again meal. Service was a bit slow but not waitresses fault she was awesome. Deserts were ok. Fish n chips at HEB 10x better.

My steak was great and my kid's burger was super delicious. The place is nice although service a bit slow.

Stopped here for lunch after hiking at Pedernales in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. We started with some chips and queso, which had good flavor (if a bit thin). I then took advantage of the Monday special (a free beer if you get a burger!) and ordered the BBQ burger. The bacon was high quality, the onion rings weren't greasy, only complaint would be that I'd like some more BBQ sauce on it (couldn't really taste it at all). Great lunch stop in town.

A perfect little tavern-like restaurant right in the heart of the charming Johnson City with lots of seating, great prices, and friendly service. We each got a salad with chicken and deviled eggs. Everything was fresh and delicious. We came for lunch on a Saturday, but it'd be really fun to come for dinner on a weekend night if I'm around the area. They also have sandwiches and BBQ. Every table besides mine had a bowl of queso, so we'll have to get that next time!

Spicy garlic sausage is amazing!!!! Tender brisket and delicious smoked turkey and pulled pork. Only thing missing is ribs.

Service was slow and unorganized. I ordered a glass of whiskey and the glass was dirty (had food stuck to the inside). I ordered Nashville chicken tenders with ranch to go, and I didn't get the ranch. The Nashville seasoning wasn't spicy at all and didn't have much flavor. However, the chicken tenders themselves were cooked really well and were very tender. I usually have their burgers, and they are always pretty good. I like this place, they just really fall short sometimes.

The drinks were strong, the food was good & hot, and staff were friendly. Really liked the rustic atmosphere. Highly recommend the burgers.

My mom and I came here for lunch today based on some of her friends' recommendations. This place recently came under its current nomenclature/ownership, as it had previously been known as the East Main Grill. I had come here excited, thinking I would try the East Main Grill Portobello Mushroom Burger. We were met by a staff member who took us out on the back deck after we asked for outdoor seating. There is a LOT of seating out back and what looks like a great outdoor bar/dining area. Big and roomy. Our server, Misty, took great care of us and greeted us warmly. We ordered a couple of teas, fried mushrooms, a Beach Bird sandwich for mom (upon Misty's recommendation), and a BLT for me (which, according to the menu, came with your choice of chips). The food came out quickly - the mushrooms were hot and cooked to order. My mom's sandwich was well put together and, according to her - delicious. My BLT, though - that was it. No chips, no thing. Just a $10 BLT. My mom said - well, we should get some fries or something as a side. We asked Misty for some and they came out quick. Hot and tasty. The service from Misty was top-notch, the food was not bad but overpriced and not what was promised - all in all, our bill for two teas, two sandwiches, an appetizer and a side of fries was just over $37. Somehow my BLT was $2 more than my mom's expertly grilled chicken sandwich. Food - decent. Service - excellent. Price - not so nice. Also, mask and glove usage by the staff wasn't great. I know how "small town" JC can be - but with all the out-of-towners coming in and out - you would want a little more safety enforced. I would come back - but wouldn't run back. Still, not too bad.

Everything was horrible, service, food and drinks. What a waste of time, money and effort. Safe yourself and skip this terrible place

I'm bummed to report that we had an overall not great experience at P&C tonight. We came in after an afternoon at the Science Mill, just before 5. A couple a things stood out immediately. First, it was really warm inside. The wall thermometer said it was 86 degrees inside. That's really not a comfortable dining experience for anyone. Second, the place was almost empty. When we were seated there were only 2 other diners in the entire restaurant. Normally in a small town on a busy road on a Friday evening a place like this would be hopping, but it was eerily quiet. I can only guess that other people might have had issues here too? A highlight was our server Aubrea. She was kind and pleasant. Several minutes after taking our order however, she came back with a menu and said that 3 of the 4 of us needed to select different entrees because: - There was no special today even though menu said catfish was the special on Fridays - They were out of chicken fried steak - And the ribeye was still frozen That was not a promising start when only the child in our party got the meal he wanted. The table shared an appetizer of fried pickles that were ok - not great but not terrible. Two of the party had salads. The Caesar salad was fine. The cucumber salad was not at all as expected and proved inedible. But the waitress was kind about it, and she took it off the bill when we said something. The chicken tenders were fried to almost burned and proved very difficult to eat. One of our party had gone with the brisket plate after the ribeye wasn't available. While the meat was fine, he was put off by the sauce. It tasted *extremely* tart and vinegar-based, like something you might find in North Carolina at a pig pickin, not in Texas. It was difficult to describe but not good. So he then asked for A1 or if they had another kind of steak sauce he could use instead. The reply was no, they had nothing else other than the BBQ sauce - odd when you serve steaks. And, his French fries tasted exactly like DQ, so it's just a personal preference as to if that's your thing. It wasn't his. When the chicken fried steak wasn't available I switched to the chicken fried chicken as my second choice. The gravy was good and the level of fry on the chicken was fine (unlike the tenders). The mashed potatoes were skin on, which is not my preference and I don't recall seeing that called out on the menu, but otherwise were fine. Mac & cheese was fine. Overall that was the best entree of the group followed by the Caesar salad. We'd be hard pressed to return. It was just too inconsistent. And unless the AC is fixed I can't see many people sweating through dinner for inconsistent food. Hope they get everything sorted out in the future. The previous restaurant in the space, East Main Grill, had been a highlight.

If I could give 0 stars I would. We waited over 45 minutes for our food. Then it came out cold. Tomato basil soup was not good. Grilled cheese, the cheese was not even melted on the bread. Chicken fried steak was cold. Mac n cheese was cold. We told our waitress and she took the food back and it came back hot. When we told her about the items she acted like she could care less. Would not recommend.

Sorry, no photos! Great burgers! I wouldn't personally order anything else here. We had a variety of items but they were so so. The burger was flavorful and juicy! We had the Plane Jane and the Blue Cheese burgers. Service wasn't warm, not sure if we caught the hostess and server on a bad day, but both were really abrupt. Not a lot of southern charm or hospitality. I'd come back. Sorry! No photos!

What a surprise to discover this gem! We hadn't tried it before since my husband is a vegetarian, but we had our dog with us and needed a pet-friendly place. Turns out they are very people friendly too! Wonderful service from the greeter, our server Darian, and her colleagues. Casual, homey atmosphere and delicious food. My husband got the Impossible burger on a brioche bun with fries and declared it delicious. I had the chef salad: fresh crisp Romaine with avocado, tomatoes, croutons, cheese, and best of all, lots of their house-smoked turkey and ham. Plus house-made ranch dressing. I took half my salad to go so I could save room for dessert. So many tempting choices but we settled on the turtle brownie with ice cream to share. Decadent and plenty for two to share. Prices were very reasonable. We started indoors (fun atmosphere) but moved outdoors when our 16 pound dog decided to bark at an innocent Labrador. Everyone seemed perfectly cool with a barking dog (except me) so we moved outside, no issue at all, and it was lovely outdoors on a warm November day. Such a great experience!

It was good, just a little pricey. ($5 for fries ) Our waiter was so very sweet and the decor was beautiful.