Review by Michael Sterns, Roadfood.com

"Like Diogenes searching for an honest man, we are always on the lookout for the perfect chicken-fried steak. We’ve found many excellent ones (and too many mediocre ones), but one of the finest anywhere is served at the Hill Country Cupboard in Johnson City, Texas. This big barn of a restaurant by the side of the highway claims to serve “The World’s Best Chicken Fried Steak,” backing up that claim with the humorous parenthesis, “(NEARLY 3 DOZEN SOLD).”

Texas Hill Country is where some of the best chicken-fried steaks are made and served (most likely where the chicken-fried steak was invented decades ago by European immigrants who used American beef to make a cutlet similar to wiener schnitzel); so to make such a claim of primacy in this neighborhood is quite a boast. But we would put the Cupboard’s steak right up there among the very best. (Two sizes are available: regular and large, the latter as big as a Frisbee.) No need for a knife here; your fork will crack through a golden brown crust that is rich and well-spiced, a perfect complement to the ribbon of tender beef inside. Alongside the slab of crusty protein comes a great glob of skin-on mashed potatoes; and of course, there is thick white gravy to blanket the whole shebang. It is possible to get a “Mexican chicken-fried steak,” which is covered with spicy sauce and melting cheddar cheese: not a terrible idea, but neither is it an improvement on the excellent simplicity of the basic formula.

Beyond chicken-fried steak, Hill Country Cupboard has a full menu of southwest eats: barbecued beef, sausage, turkey, and ribs; catfish filets; grilled chicken with jalapeno cheese sauce. There are even salads, available topped with hunks of chicken-fried steak or chicken-fried chicken!

The Cupboard is a place where locals eat. Two airy dining rooms are crowned with circulating fans, illumination provided by fluorescent tubes shaded by what appears to be burlap feed-sack material. Service is no-nonsense; checks are put down on the table along with the meal."

Review by Adeline P., Austin, TX in Yelp.com, May 31, 2009

"BEST PIE EVER. Seriously. My family and I have been stopping by the Hill Country Cupboard for as long as I can remember to get pie before continuing on some road trip or another. Their blackberry cobbler with ice cream is to die for. Great environment, friendly service, great food and incredible pie."

Review in TripAdvisor.com, “Real food.” Hill Country Cupboard, Mar 3, 2009

"My 18-year-old son and I went there. I had the enormous chicken-fried steak, and my son had the pork chop. Food was great (I think the pork chop was better). Gravy was excellent. Get the iced tea instead of a soft drink... with soft drinks, you get a tiny can of Diet Coke. Absolutely THE place to go in the Hill Country."

Review by Robert E, Pflugerville, TX in Yelp.com, February 15, 2009

"The Hill Country Cupboard is another small town cafe that was bragged about in the recent article from Texas Monthly. In case you missed it, here is what they wrote, "We hate to say it, but the hand-breaded fried pork chop at the Hill Country Cupboard knocked the gravy off the chicken-fried steak. For that matter, the sides--tender black-eyed peas and home-style potatoes with onions from the griddle--almost outshone the main courses, and frankly, the dinner may have been eclipsed by the contents of the (count 'em) two dessert cases".

That's a pretty good summary, but they totally forgot to mention the super friendly service. This place was booming at 12:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday, but they found me a seat and then poured on the charm and the home cookin'. I did have the hand-breaded fried pork chops along with some fried okra, black-eyed peas and sweet tea. All this for about ten dollars plus a large tip for fantastic service.

If you are on your way to visit the LBJ Ranch or Pedernales Falls State Park or just out for a ride on US 290, then stop by and get some grub. They also have a bakery and a bar in case you need some tequila shots and apple pie before you get back on the road."

Review by Local.Yahoo.com

"Texas Hill Country is where some of the best chicken-fried steaks are made. Beyond chicken-fried steak, Hill Country Cupboard has a full menu of southwest eats: barbecued beef, sausage, turkey, and ribs; catfish filets; grilled chicken with Jalapeno cheese sauce. There are even salads, available topped with hunks of chicken-fried steak, or chicken-fried chicken. Breakfast is served all day. For dessert they feature a bakery."

Review in Local.Yahoo.com, By DW, February 19, 2008

"If you're looking for the Hill Country motif, then this is the place. Lot's of locals and interesting tourists from all over the place. Chicken fried steak, patty melt, breakfast menu served all day long, and people that are friendly. If you have not been there yet, you haven't experienced the entire Hill Country flair."

Review in ChefMoz.org, Feb 18, 2007

"FRIENDLY & GOOD FOOD: HOW GOOD WAS MY VISIT? I'M GOING BACK FOR BREAKFAST - SO WHAT IF IT'S 1500 MILES. TEXAS FRIENDLY SERVICE"

Review in www.activediner.com, Lakeview, July 10, 2006

"The hill country cupboard was a very nice treat for the whole family."

Review in Local.Yahoo.com, Steve Estill, July 5, 2006

"Excellent breakfast and service: We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and had excellent service. Stacie was extremely friendly and provided service " with a smile ". We traveled from Fort Worth down US Hwy 281 all the way to Johnson City and did not receive half the service or quality food until we arrived at Hill Country Cupboard."

Review in Published by Twisty, January 20, 2006, in Austin, Easy Persiflage and Morsel Institute

"Whenever business takes me to Johnson City, TX–which occurrence is not all that infrequent since the ancestral home of LBJ is also the locale of El Rancho Deluxe, the rural seat of the Fasters–I make it a point to visit the Hill Country Cupboard for a plate of chicken-fried steak. Chicken-fried steak, for those unfamiliar with this primitive southern American tempura, is a thin slice of beef sinew that is battered, deep-fried, and doused in a viscous white mucilage, or sauce, called “milk gravy.” The Hill Country Cupboard is an eatery of sufficient rusticity that the traditional side dishes–a perfect hemisphere of glutinous mashed potatoes and a little dish of canned green beans floating in a bacony liquid–are preserved intact from the ravages of modern culinary theory. The dish is a triumph."

Review by Dr. John Raven, www.texascooking.com/Askdocjohn102005.htm, October 1, 2005

"The Doctor has a recommendation for everyone to keep them in good health at a reasonable price. A few days ago, the Doctor and his friend Ed "Chillee" Paetzel had dinner (noon meal) at the Country Cupboard in Johnson City, Texas. The Country Cupboard has a big sign out front that says, "World's best chicken fried steak, over three dozen sold". I don't know about the number sold, but the Worlds Best title is close. Ed is real picky; he's been eating for over 70 years and knows when he finds something good. He won't hesitate a minute to tell management if something is not good. This day, Ed took time to tell the cook the chicken fried steak was outstanding. The Country Cupboard is about genuine Texas as you can get in a café or restaurant. The walls are decorated with antiques and various documents. The service is good. The prices are right. The chicken fried steak comes with two vegetables of your choice. You have a large selection. The ice tea is good, and the glasses the correct size. We really didn't find anything to complain about. If you are in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, be sure and visit the Country Cupboard. It's on Highway 281 at the stoplight in Johnson City. "

Review in ChefMoz.org, December, 2004

" Great Chicken Fried Steak: As visitors from Canada we chose this place based on the number of cars parked outside and were not disappointed. Chicken Fried Steak and Chicken fried Chicken were excellent, as were sides of German potato salad, black-eyed peas, coleslaw and deep-fried okra. Blackberry cobbler for dessert. Great southern food at excellent prices."

Review by Kate Vine, Texas Monthly May 1, 2002

"Overall, I can report that there is fabulous home cooking to be eaten in the Hill Country, notably at the Bluebonnet Café in Marble Falls (where the lemon-meringue pies are as big as a woman’s hat), the Hill Country Cupboard in Johnson City, and the Blanco Bowling Club and Café in Blanco. The sign at the Cupboard that read “World’s Best Chicken-Fried Steak, Nearly Three Dozen Sold” drew me inside, where a Wranglers-wearing singer led a roomful of locals in “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Brown Eyed Girl” as I ate what was indeed one of the world’s best chicken-fried steaks."

Review in AustinChronicle.com, April 5, 2002

"Friendly country joint open every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All those truckers and locals can't be wrong. We bet they've sold more than the proclaimed "nearly three dozen" of their delicious chicken-fried steaks to hungry travelers just passing through. Grab some goodies from the bakery case on your way out!"