Well, been meaning to take a visit to Hickories Smokehouse for sometime. I had heard one had opened up in Hampton, Peterborough, I had a spare afternoon, so decided to check it out.
I got there early afternoon, with the intention, of seeing if they had a spare table, as I hadn't booked, something i realised is the best to do, book a table. Unfortunately, they didn't have any spare tables, but was loving the vibe of the place, so went back to my car and booked on my phone a table for 3pm. This gave me enough time to go to Hampton, Tesco for some clothes Shopping, as I've been after a new jacket for ages.
All Shopped out, I headed back to Hickories Smokehouse, for around time I had booked my table. Before even getting sat down I decided to take some Photos as the vibe was awesome there, who ever did the internal decoration nailed it. The whole place has the feel & vibe of an American smoke house and it didn't disappoint. Even the toilets, were different, but nice, its all those little details that form part of the experience of a place.
So, I headed in, and the staff were really friendly, sat me at my table, all the cutlery and condiments were out ready, all set up. Having never been there before, I was unsure what to order and the waitress helped me, I said I wanted to try a bit of everything, some brisket, pulled pork and she suggested the carnivore platter and boy was I not disappointed. Might seem expensive at £34 a time but very filling. You get beef brisket, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, sausage with cheese in, chips, coleslaw and another salad with chillies in it. The food was so tasty, meat cooked just right and was very filling. All of the meat was cooked just right, very tender, no tough bits of meat, the chips had a nice seasoned flavour to them, and unlike McDonalds no sign of lashings of salt in sight. The coleslaw, was slightly different, but very tasty and the gravy you got was really nice. Awesome for dipping your chips in and other parts of the meal. Gave it a nice flavour. Part of me, wanted to experience the virgin flavours of the meat as it come out on the plate so I limited the gravy dipping and just enjoyed the virgin flavours and I wasn't disappointed.
Washed down with a pint or two of coca cola and a dessert. The dessert was frozen custard, has a unusual name, I think it was called a "Fro co" and felt in the vibe to try something different and I wasn't disappointed, I decided to go for the "Fro co" with all the toppings and it was very nice and frozen custard was actually really nice. It was lighter than ice cream and had its own unique flavour. Definitely avoid it if you are a diabetic, lots of sugary goodness inside that.
When I got there, I opted for coke, but please check out the drinks menu as they have a vast range of drinks, with some really interesting combinations, alcoholic, non alcoholic, freak shakes, and many more. Just in case you are wondering what the hell is a freak shake, its a milkshake but with lots of toppings and bits to go with it. I have tried freak shakes at other places and they are really nice. But decided to opt for coca cola as its not too heavy when eating the food.
The whole meal including 2 pints of coca cola and dessert set me back £54 with tip included, so maybe not a cheap meal out, but to be honest, the taste of the food was so good, don't mind paying extra for good food. So I appreciate that not everyone can afford it and not the cheapest option for a family of 4 but you are also paying for the experience of the place. Again, the décor is fantastic and the little touches. The staff were super friendly, and yes they did ask the question, "Is it your first time at Hickories and are you celebrating a special occasion". This can seem daunting, but was super helpful in choosing the right food. In terms of service, there is no QR code to scan, you sit at your table and the waitress comes and takes your order, and checks up on you every so often to check you are okay. Which I think is a nice touch. You do get a dedicated waitress which is a first for me and its kind of nice makes you feel a bit special.
The bill does include a tip of 7% of your meal and this is an American thing, but to be honest, its was such a small amount of the bill i didn't mind.
Parking was also really good, you get so many hours free, and to be honest, by the time I had eaten my mains, drank my two pints of coca cola, had my "Fro co" and paid up was about 50 minutes.
I would definitely book ahead of schedule and don't chance it, like i tried to, as they do get busy, booking is free and even got a table next to a window and was brilliant.
In conclusion if you want the task of good American Smokehouse food at good prices, would highly recommend Hickories Smokehouse at Hampton in Peterborough.
