Sunken Gardens

Excellent experience! Food is priced by weight. You can control how much or how little you want! Food was fresh, well seasoned, and a great variety! Highly recommend!

Home cooking at its finest! Didn't have anything that was mediocre. Everything was delicious!

Great food, well prepared and delicious. Selection of food varies, but all are good. There are salads, mains, vegetables, bread and desserts. Atmosphere and ambiance are friendly and comfortable.

First time here this place is a buffet style with lots of choices....food is weighed on a scale at the end for your price but it was super delicious will definitely go again

Amazing food with great homemade healthy options as well as other tasty, fried options. Full salad bar and huge buffet with different options for sides and proteins. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available.

The buffet has excellent food and a rather large variety.

Think of this place as a Lubys or Furrs in a quant rural town. Walk in to what used to be a popular dance hall and enjoy the choice of good home cooked food. It is set up so you can select the food's of your choice. Gloves (disposable) are supplied and must be worn when selecting your choice's. Mask are worn by the employees, and patrions are asked to wear one when going through the serving line. This place gets really busy around lunch.

Delicious food and such nice and helpful staff. Wide variety of food on the buffet. We will go back to this quaint, out of the way diner in Shiner.

We were driving through town to visit the brewery and found this really nice place to stop. It was a buffet restaurant where you pay by the pound. Everything we tried was outstanding.

Sunken Gardens is always great. And always has a good selection of food to choose from. It is setup like a cafeteria where you serve your self and they just charge you depending on the amount (weight) of the food. The great thing about this is that you can get a great lunch quickly if you need to get back to work or don't have long. The current price is 7.95 per pound. Today they had, fried catfish, chicken tenders, chicken spaghetti, meat loaf, hamburger steak. And many different sides like, rice, okra, green beans, black eye peas, Mac and cheese, fruit salad and so on. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back sooner then later.

Our first time stopping here, but won't be our last. Pulling a trailer it's always hard to find a place to stop for lunch, plenty of parking right across the road from the restaurant. The salads were excellent, chicken spaghetti was outstanding and my husband had chicken strips and catfish which he said was real good. Would certainly recommend you give Sunken Gardens a try.

Buffet that you pay for your food by the pound. Get as much or little of the delicious food as you want. Chicken tenders and cream gravy were amazing and the fried chicken is very good too. Mac and cheese is great and the rolls were soft and fluffy.

Ok, the building isn't the prettiest. And you won't be dazzling your date with the inside. HOWEVER, if you are looking for some of the best down-home cooking, you have to come here! The food is served buffet-style, but you pay by the pound. And everything we got was incredible! This is a must try for anyone! The only issue is their water has a high mineral taste, so I highly recommend ordering a drink.

When in Shiner this is a must stop place to eat. You pay by the lb. A great lunch meal is between 4-10 $. Extremely good fried cat fish. Oh, and get a piece of pecan pie. Delicious with an amazing crust.

Great homemade food made with good ingredients. Self-serve buffet by the pound. Everything looks fresh and beautiful and tastes great. Lovely atmosphere.

Picnic on my bed. We do love your food. My grandkids always get excited to go to "Kays". Fantastic food and service. Food so good I always forget the pictures up front.

Absolutely delicious! Buffet bar style by weight in a beautiful country cabin atmosphere! Cute model train on a track around the ceiling! Love it!

Tony Acciarri

Buffet that you pay for your food by the pound. Get as much or little of the delicious food as you want. Chicken tenders and cream gravy were amazing and the fried chicken is very good too. Mac and cheese is great and the rolls were soft and fluffy.

Jason McGee

Ok, the building isn't the prettiest. And you won't be dazzling your date with the inside. HOWEVER, if you are looking for some of the best down-home cooking, you have to come here! The food is served buffet-style, but you pay by the pound. And everything we got was incredible! This is a must try for anyone! The only issue is their water has a high mineral taste, so I highly recommend ordering a drink.

Judy Amendt

When in Shiner this is a must stop place to eat. You pay by the lb. A great lunch meal is between 4-10 $. Extremely good fried cat fish. Oh, and get a piece of pecan pie. Delicious with an amazing crust.

Sally Floyd

Great homemade food made with good ingredients. Self-serve buffet by the pound. Everything looks fresh and beautiful and tastes great. Lovely atmosphere.

Sabrina Yow

Picnic on my bed. We do love your food. My grandkids always get excited to go to "Kays". Fantastic food and service. Food so good I always forget the pictures up front.

April Jenkins

Absolutely delicious! Buffet bar style by weight in a beautiful country cabin atmosphere! Cute model train on a track around the ceiling! Love it!

Great food by the pound. So if you're a lite eater, it's fairly inexpensive. If you like to load that plate up, you can, but you pay for everything you get. Wide selection, everything done very well, from the sides to the entrees. They had Newberry cobbler there the day we stopped, delicious. I will be going back there, for sure. Sweet people, very welcoming. I gave it a 5, the atmosphere is country dining. The service is only when you come in. After that, I saw a girl walking around cleaning tabletops. But she never asked us if we needed anything. All in all, a great place to eat, service was the only thing that was lacking in my humble opinion. Well worth the stop.

Great home cooking food was incredible.Definitely get the peach tea

Stopped in for lunch and had the most amazing experience. The food is delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming. The staff were friendly and had a great attitude. I ran into the owner, he was kind and very helpful. The prices are reasonable for what you get and the desserts are yummy. The food bar was stocked with fresh homemade food. 🤤 A must go to if you're in the Shiner area.

Great home cooked heathy choices. Cafeteria style you pay based on weight of your plate. Atmosphere an older wooden structure but nice and clean. Open for lunch only

So fresh, so good! Everything I have had here has been delicious. An AMAZING variety of options. So many Salad choices, always great sides and main dishes! The chicken strips are THE BEST EVER, haven't had any that good anywhere else. They also have super yummy desserts and lots of drink options too. Such a wonderful place to eat!

WOW!!! Home cooking done perfectly. Everything I tasted was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The hardest thing was space on the plate!!! Like Thanksgiving on a Tuesday. Big shout out to that dark iced tea and the desserts!!!

We were passing through town and felt blessed to stumble on the Sunken Gardens restaurant. My husband said it was the best Shepherd’s Pie and Broccoli Salad he’s ever eaten, and I felt the same about the Kale/Walnut/Cranberry Salad. The buffet was well presented and included great options for every diet choices. The staff were down-home friendly as well. I hope we can return soon!

First time in the restaurant Food was awesome... so much to pick from. Salads, meats, veggies. Cafeteria style. So good.... oh yeah dessert too👍👍

Hidden treasure. This buffet-style eatery has it all. Down home food and not bad on the pockets

Me and family ate there First time today and LOVED it!! The food is amazing! Fresh and homemade. Clean and service top notch! Definitely worth eating there! Not from here but next time here in town will definitely go back ❤️

Linda VanderSys

We were passing through town and felt blessed to stumble on the Sunken Gardens restaurant. My husband said it was the best Shepherd’s Pie and Broccoli Salad he’s ever eaten, and I felt the same about the Kale/Walnut/Cranberry Salad. The buffet was well presented and included great options for every diet choices. The staff were down-home friendly as well. I hope we can return soon!

Steven Dodd

Great home cooking food was incredible.Definitely get the peach tea

jennifer prince

Me and family ate there First time today and LOVED it!! The food is amazing! Fresh and homemade. Clean and service top notch! Definitely worth eating there! Not from here but next time here in town will definitely go back ❤️

Reddog Woods

Great food by the pound. So if you're a lite eater, it's fairly inexpensive. If you like to load that plate up, you can, but you pay for everything you get. Wide selection, everything done very well, from the sides to the entrees. They had Newberry cobbler there the day we stopped, delicious. I will be going back there, for sure. Sweet people, very welcoming. I gave it a 5, the atmosphere is country dining. The service is only when you come in. After that, I saw a girl walking around cleaning tabletops. But she never asked us if we needed anything. All in all, a great place to eat, service was the only thing that was lacking in my humble opinion. Well worth the stop.

keh1022

WOW!!! Home cooking done perfectly. Everything I tasted was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The hardest thing was space on the plate!!! Like Thanksgiving on a Tuesday. Big shout out to that dark iced tea and the desserts!!!

Donna Sturm

Great home cooked heathy choices. Cafeteria style you pay based on weight of your plate. Atmosphere an older wooden structure but nice and clean. Open for lunch only

D M

Stopped in for lunch and had the most amazing experience. The food is delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming. The staff were friendly and had a great attitude. I ran into the owner, he was kind and very helpful. The prices are reasonable for what you get and the desserts are yummy. The food bar was stocked with fresh homemade food. 🤤 A must go to if you're in the Shiner area.

Nick Staglik

Sunken Gardens is always great. And always has a good selection of food to choose from. It is setup like a cafeteria where you serve your self and they just charge you depending on the amount (weight) of the food. The great thing about this is that you can get a great lunch quickly if you need to get back to work or don't have long. The current price is 7.95 per pound. Today they had, fried catfish, chicken tenders, chicken spaghetti, meat loaf, hamburger steak. And many different sides like, rice, okra, green beans, black eye peas, Mac and cheese, fruit salad and so on. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back sooner then later.

Hope Shimek

So fresh, so good! Everything I have had here has been delicious. An AMAZING variety of options. So many Salad choices, always great sides and main dishes! The chicken strips are THE BEST EVER, haven't had any that good anywhere else. They also have super yummy desserts and lots of drink options too. Such a wonderful place to eat!

Food is fresh and homemade. It's a smorgasbord style layout with salad, fruit, veggies and a plethora of meat items - chicken and gravy, pork roast, meatloaf, delicately fried catfish, with some nice fixings to go along with whatever you decide on. You pay for your meal based on the weight of your plate. The only thing I didn't like was the unsweetened tea-it was only tea colored water.

Interesting take on cafeteria style dining. Food was really good! They weigh your entire tray and are charged by the pound. Only thing is they are closed on weekends and when they are busy, you are sitting very close to other eaters.

Cozy restaurant with a casual, relaxed vibe. The food was quite good. The staff was very friendly. Definitely worth a visit when in Shiner.

Fantastic food and friendly staff. I will admit I was hesitant when I pulled up but once I stepped in I was very happy to to see what they offered. The fish was absolutely amazing.

This is an interesting place. There are no directions when you walk in. But you grab a plate, either to eat there or take home. Then walk down and pick what you want to eat. Be aware, this places charges by weight. Don't let your eyes pick for you.

Pros: affordable food by the pound and a train that circles around the restaurant. Cons: bathrooms are not well air conditioned I swear it had to be 100 degrees or more in there during the summer. Winter probably isn't an issue.

Lunch buffet, not all you can eat. Priced by the pound. Very nice and homey, a good finish to a brewery visit as it is right down the road. Staff is very friendly and offered samples of anything on the buffet. Train is fun to watch as well.

James Haney (DIYNerd)

Lunch buffet, not all you can eat. Priced by the pound. Very nice and homey, a good finish to a brewery visit as it is right down the road. Staff is very friendly and offered samples of anything on the buffet. Train is fun to watch as well.

This place reminded me of a Luby's...old timey type food but they weigh it and charge by the pound. It was ok and had a decent amount of options to choose from on their lineup. I'll try somewhere else next time I'm passing through.

Great new place. My parents and several friends loved it. For me, I don't like to select foods from a semi-buffet, have it weighed in order to determine price hoping I liked the food I chose. I was hungry but didn't like the stew (first time I ever had stew I didn't like--that is NOT "picnic stew". More like barbacoa). I did not like the Chicken King Casserole either. Very dry, maybe lots of breading. Only healthy options were basic salad and fruit. BUT, everyone else seemed to like the majority of the food. If you want or need to eat healthy, not the place. Otherwise, it seems you will love it.

The meal is presented as a buffet, but it is NOT all you can eat. The meal is sold 'by the pound'. My lunch was just under $20 and my friend's was just over $20. Drinks and desserts are sold separately and for set prices. The salad bar was well stocked and had a variety of salads: green leafy, broccoli mayo, peas, potato, etc. I actually think the salad portion is worth the per pound price. I was disappointed with the dressings AND they were a bit challenging to access, tuned in the corner, in a serving crate. The hot foods sides and entrees weren't hot. Everything I selected was lukewarm. They were all home made. Everyone behind the counter, when there, were polite. The restaurant was very clean, furnished country comfortably and had lots of room. I might return for a small, brief lunch, but not much more.

Teresa White-Heximer

The meal is presented as a buffet, but it is NOT all you can eat. The meal is sold 'by the pound'. My lunch was just under $20 and my friend's was just over $20. Drinks and desserts are sold separately and for set prices. The salad bar was well stocked and had a variety of salads: green leafy, broccoli mayo, peas, potato, etc. I actually think the salad portion is worth the per pound price. I was disappointed with the dressings AND they were a bit challenging to access, tuned in the corner, in a serving crate. The hot foods sides and entrees weren't hot. Everything I selected was lukewarm. They were all home made. Everyone behind the counter, when there, were polite. The restaurant was very clean, furnished country comfortably and had lots of room. I might return for a small, brief lunch, but not much more.

Mary G

Great new place. My parents and several friends loved it. For me, I don't like to select foods from a semi-buffet, have it weighed in order to determine price hoping I liked the food I chose. I was hungry but didn't like the stew (first time I ever had stew I didn't like--that is NOT "picnic stew". More like barbacoa). I did not like the Chicken King Casserole either. Very dry, maybe lots of breading. Only healthy options were basic salad and fruit. BUT, everyone else seemed to like the majority of the food. If you want or need to eat healthy, not the place. Otherwise, it seems you will love it.

Should have $$$$ upon look up Pictures show well lit but dark inside Old pricing on web site says $6.99 per pound..actual price $8.99 per pound NO SENIOR DISCOUNT A LUNCH $17 - TO $25 IF YOU INCLUDE DRINK & DESSERT PRICED SEPARATELY. Definitely city priced

Everything that should have been hot, or at least warm, was bordering on being cold. The fish was rubbery and on the edge of being cold. Mashed potatoes had a funky taste. The potatoes, okra, Mac and cheese, and unstuffed bell pepper were room temp. Very disappointing and definitely not worth the $ my wife and I spent. Nobody on the floor to talk to and the cashier had a line of people trying to pay.

All Ala

Everything that should have been hot, or at least warm, was bordering on being cold. The fish was rubbery and on the edge of being cold. Mashed potatoes had a funky taste. The potatoes, okra, Mac and cheese, and unstuffed bell pepper were room temp. Very disappointing and definitely not worth the $ my wife and I spent. Nobody on the floor to talk to and the cashier had a line of people trying to pay.

Worse lunch ever! Ordered two hamburger steaks with gravy and grilled onion….this was dry and undercooked. $5 for non edible food! And the saga continues....today I placed an online order for lunch. After driving 5-6 miles into town, I politely asked the window server if she was sure the order was complete as it was all in one medium sized bag. She checked and said "yes...it is all there". Upon reaching home, we discover that one dessert was left out. Using today's lingo, I texted " Cheated me out of a dessert". Just wanting to make sure they knew the order was indeed not complete. OMG....I get a phone call from the owner and listen in shock as he curses me and tells me to go eat somewhere else. The terrible language continued as he told me he would credit my account. Never in my life have I been spoken to by a retailer in ANY business in this manner. I replied that I would share this experience but still pray for him and his potty mouth!!! I will NEVER go near this establishment again. You may judge for yourselves.....

Lyn Honish

Worse lunch ever! Ordered two hamburger steaks with gravy and grilled onion….this was dry and undercooked. $5 for non edible food! And the saga continues....today I placed an online order for lunch. After driving 5-6 miles into town, I politely asked the window server if she was sure the order was complete as it was all in one medium sized bag. She checked and said "yes...it is all there". Upon reaching home, we discover that one dessert was left out. Using today's lingo, I texted " Cheated me out of a dessert". Just wanting to make sure they knew the order was indeed not complete. OMG....I get a phone call from the owner and listen in shock as he curses me and tells me to go eat somewhere else. The terrible language continued as he told me he would credit my account. Never in my life have I been spoken to by a retailer in ANY business in this manner. I replied that I would share this experience but still pray for him and his potty mouth!!! I will NEVER go near this establishment again. You may judge for yourselves.....