Hickory’s Smokehouse Hutton — Restaurant in South Ribble

Review of Hickory’s Smokehouse Hutton by my Family

Our family visit to Hickory’s Smokehouse in Hutton started as a delightful celebration for my wife’s birthday, but concluded with a taste that was bittersweet, largely due to an unpleasant encounter at the end of our meal.

Atmosphere and Initial Impressions Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the bar staff who introduced us to a variety of American bourbons and shared intriguing stories of their historic significance. This thoughtful introduction set a high bar for the evening, with the staff demonstrating both knowledge and hospitality, hat off to these guys, they know their stuff.

Service and Cuisine. The servers at Hickory’s Smokehouse were nothing short of excellent. Their attentiveness ensured our dining experience was smooth and enjoyable.

Each dish that came to our table was not only timely but cooked to perfection, showcasing the skill of the chefs. The atmosphere throughout the evening was electric, making it a perfect backdrop for making cherished family memories.

Unpleasant Conclusion Unfortunately, our wonderful experience was marred towards the end by an incident involving a staff member named Coulson.

As we were concluding our meal, Coulson presented our bill with a pre-included tip of (£15 which he added without deservedness) This was unexpected as he had not been involved in our service throughout the evening.

When I inquired about this charge, Coulson responded in a manner that was both shocking inappropriate, and cringeworthy, especially in front of my family.

His defensive, aggressive attitude and the manner in which he addressed our concerns were out of line with the otherwise stellar service we had received.

Despite this, we sought to resolve the matter discreetly and spoke with a manager who assured us that the issue would be looked into. It was important for us to recognize and reward the staff who directly contributed to our enjoyable evening, rather than feeling compelled to reward someone who did not participate in providing the service we experienced.

Final Thoughts While the majority of our visit to Hickory’s Smokehouse was exceptional, the incident at the end was unfortunate and not reflective of the high standards of hospitality we initially encountered.

It is our hope that feedback like ours will be taken constructively, ensuring that future guests do not encounter similar issues. (Check automated added tips)

Overall, our visit to Hickory’s Smokehouse Hutton was memorable for many right reasons, but it’s crucial that all aspects of customer interaction are handled with the same level of professionalism and...

Booked a table online for my family’s first dinner out in months, looking forward to a nice meal. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from start to finish.

We arrived on time but were left waiting for over 30 minutes before being seated despite being told it would be 5 mins. Once at our table, a waitress took our drinks order, but we then had to flag someone down 15 minutes later just to place our food order. The service felt disorganised, and the staff seemed uninterested.

When the food finally arrived, my child’s mac and cheese was cold, which was disappointing. No one checked back on us at any point, so we had no opportunity to raise any issues. The food overall was good—decent portions and acceptable quality—but nothing groundbreaking for the price.

What made the experience even more frustrating was that there were plenty of empty, dirty tables, despite the restaurant showing as fully booked online. I had even called ahead to try and book, only to be told they had no availability. After checking other reviews, it seems this isn’t a one-off issue—many people mention the same thing: great food but poor service, long wait times, and tables sitting empty because there aren’t enough staff to clean them.

To top it off, a 7.5% service charge was automatically added to the bill, which felt like a slap in the face given the lack of service. We didn’t have a designated server, with different people taking our order, bringing food, and handling the bill, making the whole experience feel chaotic and impersonal when I was happy to pay to feel special.

At £75 for three people with no alcohol, it felt overpriced, especially considering the lackluster service. Like many places, they seem to be cutting back on staff while still charging premium prices.

Won’t be...

Booked a booth for Saturday 21st September 2024 for my grandaughters 12th birthday, she chose here as its her favourite place, during the phone conversation i asked if they could do something a little special for her birthday and they said yes we bring out a treat and a sparkler and sing happy birthday. Brilliant i thought all arranged. Arrived early. Finally got seated on a table next to the toilets. No booth as requested, checked and confirm over the phone pre visit. We were then handed menu's one of which had a big lump of chewing gum stuck to it. Told the waitress she just took it never said a word, screwed it up in her hand and walked off. As we were not happy about sitting by the toilets and not what we booked i asked to move so they moved us to a booth which we should of had in the 1st place. Waited ages to order and then a further 45 for the food to arrive. Whilst eating the fajitas I bit into mine and had a long blond hair in my mouth which was in the food. (none of us at the table have blond hair). This was the final straw. It Knocked me sick and i could not even look at the food. They knocked it off the bill, i wasnt bothered about the bill it was more about the dirty long hair in my food and not being able to continue with the meal. Not only this my grandaughter didnt get the birthday treat they said she would get which was just another let down. I can say they well and truly spoilt my granddaughters birthday meal. We have been there on many occasions and never had an issue this was just a catalogue of disasters in one night will definitely not be returning. Definitely gone...