Showing posts with label Family dining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family dining. Show all posts

Wednesday 20 February 2019

Enjoying a Family Meal at Hickory's Smokehouse - A Review

My family and I regularly enjoy visiting family friendly restaurants and having a lovely meal together, but over the last couple of years we have found ourselves visiting the same places and quite frequently ordering the same meals. Therefore, when an opportunity recently arose to visit Hickory's Smokehouse, we were excited about the prospect of trying something both new and different. After carrying out a little research prior to our visit, I was shocked that we had never visited before and couldn't wait to find out more.

Hickory's aim to create an authentic family friendly dining experience based on the restaurants and bars of the Southern States, as well as providing a welcoming hospitality service that makes you feel appreciated as a guest. They offer a range of quirky extras including popcorn on arrival, the ability to have a campfire and toast marshmallows at your table, as well as milkshake masterclasses for children.


Hickory's Smokehouse have restaurants in numerous locations including Burton Green, Castle Bromwich, Chester, Gresty Green, Rhos-on-Sea, Southport, Wall Heath, West Kirby and Worcester. We are very fortunate to have several of them nearby, but for our first Hickory's experience we chose to attend the Southport venue and we couldn't have been happier with our choice.

On arrival we were greeted by a lovely member of staff who showed us to our table. On the way he pointed out where the cinema room was for the children, along with providing us with directions to the toilets. He advised that someone would be along shortly to take our drinks order, so we began to have a look through the extensive choice of beverages available. The drinks menu featured plenty of options to ensure that there was something for all tastes and it didn't take my family long to make their decisions - MILKSHAKES!

My husband and our three children Emma, Ben and Riley all chose the Strawberry Dream from the Shakehouse Selection, which consisted of Strawberry, White Chocolate and Marshmallow. My kids were invited over to the bar area to take part in a milkshake masterclass where they had the opportunity to create it themselves, which I thought was a really brilliant idea that encourages children to get involved and be creative. My youngest son Riley absolutely loves pretend play and often imagines creating his own milkshakes in this play kitchen, so to be able to do this for real was fantastic and he definitely enjoyed the moment. He is usually extremely shy, but the young man helping with the preparation was great with my children and they all excitedly made their masterpieces!


Despite the milkshakes being an extremely popular choice, I wanted to try something a little different instead, so I opted for the Raspberry & Mint Lemonade and I am so glad I did. I can honestly say that this was one of the most refreshing and tasty drinks that I have ever tasted and as well as being a thirst quencher it also complemented my food really well. Other drinks that feature on the menu included Healthy Blend Smoothies consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, a range of All American Sodas & Iced Teas, a choice of tap, bottled and canned beers, numerous wines and all of this was in addition to some Southern Classic Cocktails which all sounded absolutely amazing. You are quite literally spoilt for choice!

After taking our drinks order, the waitress allowed us some further time to look over the menu. We were not rushed at all and it was great reading through all the options that were available. All of the starters sounded delicious which made it really difficult to choose only one. We therefore all agreed to order something different and then just help ourselves to a bit of each dish and share. This worked really well and it was great to see my children so keen to sample each item of food. From the children's menu we ordered Tortilla Chips with a cheesy dip and two portions of Popcorn Chicken with BBQ sauce. From the main appetizer menu we ordered the Burnt End Popcorn Bites (chunks of smoked beef brisket in a crispy cajun rub) and Barbecue Pulled Pork Smokehouse Nachos (nachos topped with bbq pulled pork, sour cream, avocado mayo, jalapenos & melted cheese). All of the dishes came really well presented and we were immediately impressed.


In between each course my children made the most of the cinema room. I absolutely LOVED this idea and think that the person who came up with this concept is a genius, as it meant that my children were sat in a relaxed and safe environment enjoying a movie, whilst my husband and I could enjoy each others company. It really was the best of both worlds in that we could have an amazing family meal together, but also have moments where we could have a conversation as a couple.

After an ideal rest time between courses, our mains were brought to the table. We had ordered:

  • Barbecue Hand Pulled Pork - Pulled and topped with barbecue pit beans, fries and house slaw (14 hour smoked).
  • Ribeye Steak 255g with skin-on-fries and peppercorn sauce
  • 2 x Grilled Chicken Burgers with fries
  • Mini Hickory's Burger with fries

All of these were well presented and in an eccentric way which was much more fun and interesting than traditional plates. My pulled pork and barbecue pit beans were in a mess tin, the fries in a cup with a pot of house slaw on the side and then these had all been neatly placed on a wooden chopping board.


My children's burgers also came on wooden trays placed within baskets, which I thought was great as it prevented any food slipping off the side when cutting. They also had their own cutlery and a kids activity pack which Riley enjoyed completing in between his burger bites.


Both Ben and Emma enjoyed the Grilled Chicken Burger which they both said was delicious. It is very rare for Ben to finish his meal when dining out, but on this occasion he ate every last bit, which speaks volumes in itself. They both felt that the portion size was just right and the chicken was cooked to perfection as well as being 'super tasty'.


My husband said that the rib eye steak was cooked exactly how he likes it and that the peppercorn sauce was not too overpowering. The knife cut through the steak with ease and it was tasty and flavoursome. He had mentioned to a member of staff earlier in our visit that he had not tried ribs before, so was kindly provided with a delicious sample that he ate alongside his main meal.


After enjoying our starters and mains, it was simply impossible for me to squeeze in a dessert, however my husband and children still had a little space and therefore eagerly cast their eyes over the menu. My husband selected The American Classic Waffles with maple syrup and frozen custard ice cream, Emma chose Homemade Waffles with Strawberries and Cream, Ben opted for the Homemade Waffles with Maple Syrup and requested no ice cream, and Riley ordered a cookie minus the milk. Two of my children had asked for very slight variations to their desserts and both of these requests were accommodated with no fuss at all.

Just like the rest of our meals, the desserts came beautifully presented and my family were all delighted with their choices when they arrived. My husband had been intrigued by the Frozen Custard Ice Cream and was unsure how this would taste, but said it was amazing and very different to anything he had tried before. It was also something that he would definitely like to have again in the future.

Overall we had an exceptional dining experience, with friendly staff, delicious food and excellent service. The extensive menu ensured that all our tastes were catered for and the staff were also very knowledgeable about the dishes and the restaurant brand itself. If we had any questions these were answered without hesitation and despite being busy, the staff were always very attentive and didn't seem rushed. Our meals were cooked to perfection and the whole family loved the cinema room as this allowed my husband and I to be able to have a conversation and enjoy some time together, whilst the kids enjoyed nibbling on popcorn and watching a film in between their meals. All of my children very quickly declared it their new favourite restaurant and there is no doubt that we shall be returning to Hickory's Smokehouse again very soon. Would we recommend Hickory's Smokehouse for family dining? Absolutely!


As well as an extensive breakfast, lunch and main menu, Hickory's have now also introduced some Smokin' Deals which are available every Monday to Thursday from 5pm and the current line-up includes:

Monday: Fajita Margarita £10.99 - A sizzling skillet of peppers, onions and your choice of Cajun chicken or chargrilled Cajun vegetables with warm tortillas and a signature margarita.

Tuesday: Bottomless Ribs £18.99 - Unlimited servings of baby-back ribs glazed with a choice of barbecue or bourbon sauce, served with fries and slaw.

Wednesday: Steak & Shake £10.99 - Flame grilled prime 8oz rump steak with peppercorn sauce and fries, finished off with a milkshake of the day. (There will be two choices available every Wednesday).

Thursday: Barbecue Blowout £15.99 - A Hickory's Platter consisting of pulled pork, bbq beans, smoked sausage, chicken wings, Kansas rib fingers and southern fried chicken, served with fries and slaw.

If you would like to find out more about Hickory's Smokehouse then you can visit their website or social media pages on the following channels:

Website: www.hickorys.co.uk
Blog: hickorys.co.uk/blog/
Facebook: facebook.com/hickoryssouthport
Twitter: @hickorys_
Instagram: @hickoryssmokehouse


*Disclaimer - We were invited to Hickory's as guests and received our food and drinks complimentary for the purpose of writing a review. Opinions are my own unless otherwise stated and this review is an honest reflection of our visit. Menu items/smokin' deals correct at time of our visit but are subject to change.