Hickory Park
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Checking out Hickory Park in Ames, Iowa 🍖🍨 #hickorypark #amesiowa
isaacjarnaginisaacjarnagin
3K83
Hickory Park is a staple to the Ames community and has been a well established business for as long as I have been visiting the Ames area (20+ years). The facility accomodates a large number of diners and depending upon the day of the week, meal time, and other activities happening in town this establishment can get quite busy. Despite it's popularity, wait times to be seated are reasonable. Our group of 4 waited less than 10 minutes to get checked-in and be seated, and this was a Friday evening meal around 5:30 pm. This was a first time dining experience for your children eating here. There is a large menu selection with lots of variety to select from. Our kids both ordered from the "kids menu" and my wife and I each ordered a dinner meal consisting of BBQ meats and two sides. My son likes to sample from mom and dad's plate and was very impressed with the mashed potatoes and gravey. Normally he won't eat mashed potatoes at home. Overall, our dining experience was pleasant. Our wait staff was friendly and checked on us a few times during our meal despite the place being packed. Our order was correct upon arrival at our table and the food was hot (as it should be). Following your meal, they also have an extensive desert menu you can order from. The kids each got a scoop of ice cream, which was part of their ordered meal, and the wife and I shared a sundae. Hickory Park has almost always been a positive dining experiencce for me. This time was no exception.
Scott PlattScott Platt
00
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. I'm no chef or expert, but do enjoy excellent Bar-b-que, even if it's only "ok") Here's why "maybe".. I arrived at 5 minutes to 9pm and ordered take out. If a restaurant is open and seating me and serving me, I'm 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 don't know if they had any other. It is a vinegar type which seems to have ketchup as it's 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 I'd 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 I'm 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 couldn't finish either the ribs or the chicken. Just.. too tough.
Iama TechieIama Techie
00
edited to 4 stars: I was in Ames for several weeks this trip and I was able to go back several times. I think this original review was a weird anomaly in food quality. The other times I was here I was relieved that Hickory park lived up to its reputation and delivered very good food. Original two star review: I live out of the state, but love coming back to Ames every so often to visit and we always stop at Hickory park. I’d heard it had gone downhill and when I visited again this week I was sad to say it has! I’ve been ordering my usual for 25 years: the quarter chicken dark meat meal. The chicken was fine enough, but the sides have clearly changed recipes. The macaroni salad and potato salad were goopy and had too much of some spice in them (I think it was white pepper). The cherry coke tasted chemically. We didn’t get ice cream this time. I’ve never left HP thinking “that was just a mediocre meal” before! I hope this is just a blip and not the way things will continue. HP is an ames institution, but still needs to continue serving its amazing quality of food. Nostalgia can keep a place going for a while, but I don’t want to see Hickory Park’s amazing reputation tarnished!
K CK C
00
BUILDING: classic rustic ambiance with log cabin interior panels, old west settlement sillouette lighting, and old advertisements for various firearms and farm supplies. MENU: wide selection enabling plenty of options for vegetarian or non bbq lovers. Prices are in line with other mid tier restaurants. My only complaint being the lack of a la carte menu making bbq meat selection a tough choice. FOOD: moist tasty ham, ribs that fall off the bone, and great fries. My brisket was good but a bit rubbery, the Mac n Cheese was basic rich Velveeta with no flare, and the BBQ beans had a nice pork addition but no hint of BBQ outside of that. BBQ SAUCES: no labels on the 3 sauces on the table. They had a large bottle I assume was the house sauce, red lid I assume was spicy, and yellow lid I assume was sweet. The sweet sauce was the only one worth using. The house sauce was generic and the spicy had little spice and a watery base. Also the place was busy and my food was only room temp. Overall I rated 3/5 for good taste dispite a generic feel. Prices might be a little high but alligns with similar restaurants.
Ross WoodRoss Wood
00
First and foremost... they offer no discount for military, Veterans, or first responders. Here's the Good... Our server Emma was great! The restaurant and the facilities are clean. The smoking meat fills the restaurant with an amazing aroma. The portions are more than enough to fill you up. Here's the Bad... The food is average at best. My wife's Smoked Beef Dinner was just OK. The marshmallow they use on sundaes is a liquid and very plain tasting; they should use mini marshmallows. The Ugly... My Mushroom & Swiss Burger wasn't even OK. The bottom bun was soggy with grease. There was a scant amount of mushrooms on it. The meat was like something you'd get on a Hy-Vee/Wahlburger... greasy and no flavor. To be honest, I've had better Mushroom & Swiss burgers at fast food restaurants. The BBQ Beans were just nasty! They looked like they came from a can and they tasted like they just added liquid smoke. Bitter and disgusting. This is the second time we've been here and I now remember why it's been over 10 years since we first ate here. There won't be a third visit.
INTIMIDAT3RINTIMIDAT3R
00
Nearby Attractions Of Hickory Park
Hunziker Property Management
Athletic Club of Ames

Hunziker Property Management
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Athletic Club of Ames
4.9
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Nearby Restaurants Of Hickory Park
Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill
Jethro's BBQ
Fuji Japanese Steak House
Firehouse Subs Ames Duff
Pancheros Mexican Grill - Ames
Texas Roadhouse
HuHot Mongolian Grill
Taza Fresh
B-Bop's
Red Lobster

Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill
4.6
(943)Click for details

Jethro's BBQ
4.2
(1K)Click for details

Fuji Japanese Steak House
4.5
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Firehouse Subs Ames Duff
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Basic Info
Address
1404 S Duff Ave, Ames, IA 50010
Map
Phone
(515) 232-8940
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Website
hickoryparkbbq.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.5
(2.8K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Long-standing family-owned eatery serving up house-smoked barbecue in a spacious setting.
attractions: Hunziker Property Management, Athletic Club of Ames, restaurants: Dublin Bay Irish Pub & Grill, Jethro's BBQ, Fuji Japanese Steak House, Firehouse Subs Ames Duff, Pancheros Mexican Grill - Ames, Texas Roadhouse, HuHot Mongolian Grill, Taza Fresh, B-Bop's, Red Lobster

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