Hickory Park
| Address: | 1404 S Duff Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA |
| Phone: | +1 515-232-8940 |
| Site: | hickoryparkames.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–10PM 10AM–10PM 10AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
IA
Iama Techie
Would I go here again? - Maybe Do I recommend it? - Hmm, maybe. (Keep in mind I smoke my own meats and make my own sauce. Im no chef or expert, but do enjoy excellent Bar-b-que, even if its only "ok") Heres why "maybe".. I arrived at 5 minutes to 9pm and ordered take out. If a restaurant is open and seating me and serving me, Im assuming they will be giving just as good of food as I might have at 6pm, 3pm, noon or whenever they open. Which, I understand, can be difficult for a place that serves real "bar-b-que". My food, which was quite tasty, and had a perfect "smoke" flavor, was dried out, overcooked and tough. I had the Chicken/Ribs Dinner. Quarter chicken (half?) and 4 meaty chunks between rib bones. The sauce was "ok". I dont know if they had any other. It is a vinegar type which seems to have ketchup as its base. Nothing to write home about. Not sweet at all. Which is fine for a vinegar sauce. However, the sides were delicious. perfect mashed potatoes with a brown gravy, buttered corn (the recommendation of the front cashier girl) and a scone. Ohhhh.. that scone. yumm... The corn and potatoes were good, but not too difficult to make and you can get good sides like that most anywhere. But the scone. Ok, I *thought* was going to be cornbread, the usual "grain" type side. when I opened it, it looked just like a dinner roll. But after biting into it, I realized it had been lightly (VERY lightly!) fried, it was light and airy inside, just like Id expect from a dinner roll but a little sweet, with a crispness all over that you just dont get from baking. Of course, I could be completely wrong about it. This is just what it seemed like to me. Personally, I would go back just to order 2-3 dozen of the scones/rolls if I was having a party, or just to put my pulled pork on. It was that good. And very unexpected. So.. IF I went earlier in the day, perhaps the meat would be cooked perfectly, or at least well and not tough and over-cooked. And if I went inside, I *might* find they have different sauces than the only one that came with my meal. So, yeah, if Im ever back in this area I *might* stop in and see if the $10 box meal was as great a bargain as I thought it would be. Or.. confirm that someone needs to learn not to over-cook. In the end, I just couldnt finish either the ribs or the chicken. Just.. too tough.
CH
Chris Collinsworth
Let me just start out by saying that the food isnt s reflection of the staff and ownership. The food may be tasty, but the management walks around with egos so big they cant see their feet. Sexual harassment towards females is an everyday occurrence here. Bosses making humiliating comments about employees behind their backs as well as to them. I have seen managers selling drugs while on the clock, to employees! I reported it to the Ames police multiple times only to be told that its under investigation. I just want people to think who they are supporting by eating at this place. If you support drug funding, sexual harassment, poor cleanliness, double contamination, and simply put no respect for customers nor employees. Next time you venture in take special note of the employees not busting their asses aka the managers and see how they greet you. But turn around quick because theyre probably making leus gestures. This place is a total joke, maybe if there was any competition in town they wouldnt see so much success. I am a valued member of the community, and this silent secret will soon be exposed heavily. Stop supporting this FRONT of a business.
A
A Private User
Great BBQ place. I live in Des Moines, but occassionally make a special trip to Ames just to eat here. I cannot understand why some reviews say this place is expensive. Theyre honestly the cheapest BBQ place I know of, and if a plate happens to cost a lot, its because its an expensive meat or youre getting a ton of food. I usually get the 3-meat plate, which is less than $9 and is more food than I can even eat. Enough for a full lunch the next day. The food tastes good. Not the best ever, but good. Definitely worth the price. Service is acceptable. They have an amazing selection of ice cream, which you have to check out. My only real complaint is that the restaurant is so big and packed that the ambient noise level is so high some may be turned off by the place. You often have to raise your voice just to be heard at your table. The place is so big and commercialized that you also kind-of get the feeling of being herded through—especially if theyre busy.
MA
Mark Anderson
The atmosphere was nostolgic with old signs of things of yesteryear. But the food was overrated. I ordered the 1/4 chicken and ribs with sides of baked beans and mac n cheese. Lets just say the tastiest item was the crossbreed bun with the texture of part cornbread and dinner roll. Problem is it didnt include butter or honey. The chicken was pink didnt seem real juicy or anything like broasted chicken would, the skin was not crisp but more on the slimy side, so I only ate the meat. The ribs were not fall of the bone, and tasted like they were sitting right on the burnt hickory. I burped up the nasty hickory/burned/fireworks taste well into the next day. The mac n cheese consisted of elbow macaroni and canned cheese sauce, nothing homemade about it. This place is fake BBQ!!! The chocolate malt was good,, but only got the one glass no extras, sundaes looked appetizing as well. Little candy store is cute. Avoid if your looking for real BBQ.
ER
Erik Jason
At Hickory Park, I feasted upon the Club Deluxe, a double decker club sandwich topped with ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, American cheese, Swiss cheese, and mayonnaise on whole wheat bread with a side of fries. This was one of the largest sandwiches Ive seen in my life, as I almost had to unhinge my jaw in order to fit this meaty monstrosity into my gaping gullet. While the sandwich was tasty, I would not have been against additional mayonnaise or another liquid condiment added onto the sandwich, as it was very dry. The fries were pleasently tasty and crisp. This restaurant was the epitome of "famity restaurant" as its dining space was practically full of vastly different groups of people from couples out for date night to large families celebrating birthdays. The food was reasonably priced and the service was friendly and fast.
JO
John Petersen
The most overrated restaurant in Ames. My family lives out of town and every time they mention Ames somebody tells them "Oh, you HAVE to go to Hickory Park!" No... No, you dont. And every time my college friends come back to visit they always want to go there for the nostalgia. I always dread this. The food is mediocre, the ribs are typically pathetic and full of gristle, the cheese balls are rock hard, and its unbearably noisy (but I guess if you have kids you might be used to that). Couldnt even have a conversation because of the noise, and every 5 minutes somebody had a birthday song at a nearby table. HPs one saving grace is that its cheap, but I suppose you get what you pay for. I just made sure to tip the hell out of my server, who was very polite and busting her ass. But I wont go back. Hickory Park is the Wal-Mart of restaurants.
