1946. Brady, Texas. A young man known as M.E. had a small bar-b-que stand. He was proud of his bar-b-que, but believed he might have a better opportunity in Brownwood. So he, his wife Pearl and their eight boys moved there and opened a stand on West Commerce street. 75 years later Underwood’s Cafeteria is still going strong, and is one of the most famous bar-b-que restaurants in the state of Texas.
“M.E.” was Millard Elmo Underwood. The first wood-frame bar-b-que stand was on the north side of West Commerce. In 1948 it was moved across the street to the south side, and in 1951 it was replaced with a cinder block building. That building, which many long-term local residents remember, stood until 1975, when the current, modern Underwood’s building was built.
The slow-smoked, tender bar-b-que was a hit with the folks of Brownwood. As the boys grew up into adulthood, several of them — including Morris, Jimmy, and Millard “Uncle Undy” opened restaurants in other towns. At one time you could find an Underwood’s in Abilene, Amarillo, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Lubbock, Odessa, Sherman, Wichita Falls, Waco, Austin, plus two in Oklahoma: Altus and Lawton.
The youngest of the eight boys, Leonard, stayed home and eventually took over management of the Brownwood cafeteria. The new building in 1975 allowed him to expand the menu offerings beyond the basic bar-b-que fare. Chicken fried steak, “Mama Underwood’s” fried chicken, hot rolls and cobbler were added. Those dishes actually were pioneered by Morris Underwood in his restaurants in West Texas. The cobbler and hot rolls were his recipe, and proved to be immediately popular in Brownwood.
But to this day, the original bar-b-que beef steak is still the best selling entree item. It is very lean shoulder-cut brisket, cut in-house, which can’t be found anywhere else. Lots of restaurants have ribs, sausage, chicken fried steak, catfish, and fried chicken, but it’s the bar-b-que beef steak that sets Underwood’s apart.
All of the other Underwood’s restaurants eventually closed, for lack of another generation to take over. In Brownwood, however, Leonard’s sons Leo and Paul joined up and took over management of the local cafeteria when Leonard retired in 2001. 
Many folks fondly remember long-time assistant manager Eugene Hawkins. Eugene was not an owner, not a member of the family, but you would never have known that, from the love and hard work he contributed to Underwood’s.
Underwood’s business and reputation have continued to grow. Most locals have had the experience, if you tell someone you are from Brownwood, of immediately hearing “Oh! That’s where Underwood’s is!” People from around the state know and love the beef steak, hot rolls, and cobbler. They are also delightfully surprised when they learn that all the items on the cafeteria line are not sold a la carte. Rather, the flat-pricing means you can load up your tray with as much as you want. Texans like to eat, and they love that feature of Underwood’s. Out-of-towners are a big part of Underwood’s business.
The current building did not originally have a drive-thru window, but Leonard added it in the early 1980’s when he saw that as a trend in the industry. Drive-thru and take-out is now a significant part of their business, and proved to be extremely valuable last year when the dining room was closed during the pandemic.
Now in the 21st century, Underwood’s does business on their web site: www.underwoodsbbq.com. Order what you want, they will freeze it and ship it via UPS.
Over the years Underwood’s has had a number of famous customers, including Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Mac Brown, Texas Rangers pitcher Jeff Russell, and Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams. It is even said that back in the 1950’s Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams — “The Splendid Splinter,” “the greatest hitter who ever lived” — ate at Underwood’s, when in town on a hunting trip.
Underwood’s currently provides jobs to about 40 persons, and has employed hundreds over the years. I asked Paul Underwood if they have any success stories from their employees. “We have a lot of small success stories. A number of school teachers have worked here and financed their education. I think of Regina Pinkston, who worked here while going to Howard Payne, and now she’s had a long career in teaching. A woman named Lynn Sutton, whose daughter also worked for us for awhile. Lynn went on to teach school. I’ve had a number that have gone on to be nurses. I think when it’s all said and done, that’s what I’ll be most proud of. We’re that place that gave somebody their first opportunity.”
There is an old saying that the first generation starts a business, the second generation builds it, and the third generation destroys it. That is certainly NOT the case with Underwood’s. Very few businesses last 75 years, and Underwood’s in Brownwood is as strong as ever.
Paul Underwood is trying to keep their 75th anniversary in perspective. “It’s so secondary, so meaningless, how long you’ve been in the business. You have to be good today.”
Underwood’s Cafeteria is good today. Very, very good.