Hickory Tavern — Restaurant in Charlotte

I have been a loyal customer at Hickory Tavern, visiting weekly with my family of six or on date nights. However, my most recent experience yesterday around 3 PM, while getting food for myself and my husband, was extremely disappointing. I ordered the large BBQ Nachos as usual, requesting extra chicken, queso, BBQ sauce, and toppings—extra everything—so that I could take some home for the kids, as we often do. Instead of the generously filled tray I’ve come to expect, especially for a large portion, the tray was barely filled. It was noticeably lacking both in quantity and presentation, falling far short of what is considered a "large" order. This was especially frustrating because we placed a similar order less than 15 days ago, which was nothing like what we received this time. The manager not only claimed that portion sizes had changed "over a year ago," but she practically implied that I was lying when I explained that this was not the case. Please do not lie to customers who are paying for their food—and ultimately, your paychecks.

The Caucasian lady, likely the manager, told me this was the new standard. She even implied I was mistaken about my past experiences, dismissing my concerns entirely. This was particularly frustrating as a regular, consistent customer who has come to expect better. It was obvious that this was not “extra everything” as I had requested.

To be clear, this was not the server’s fault. He did his best under challenging circumstances, as the restaurant was clearly understaffed. With only two servers managing multiple tables and a steady flow of new customers, it was chaotic. I had to even ask the manager to take our order, as we had come in for a quick bite and were pressed for time. While she did eventually take the order, it should have been common sense for her to step in sooner and support her overwhelmed team. A good manager leads by example, especially in such situations.

Unfortunately, the service delay caused our visit to take over an hour, making us late for our next obligation. On top of that, we had to put everything in to-go boxes because we were already running very late. This, combined with the poor handling of my concerns and the subpar portion size, has left me deeply disappointed. This experience did not meet the standards I have come to appreciate at Hickory Tavern, and as a result, you have lost a loyal customer. I would now recommend Copper Premium Pub. Their food and service are excellent, and while it’s a bit further away, I’m more than willing to make the drive to get my money’s worth.

I hope Hickory Tavern takes these concerns seriously and addresses these issues promptly. Otherwise, I fear that more customers will follow my lead and choose to...

You know how people only post reviews when something bad happens? This is one of those moments. TLDR at the end.

We were a party of 6 who had made a reservation a head of time. It was around 1pm on a Sunday and my friends and I thought we'd catch lunch and a game from this place since it came highly recommended. We were promptly seated outside next to a table of 8 elderly folks who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Well this is where the good service ends. We sat and waited for 30 minutes without so much of a hello I'll be a moment and here's some water. We watched as other patrons were seated in the same area and serviced and acknowledged immediately.

One of us took the initiative to go speak with the hostess to see if there was some sort of mistake as we were seated next to a large group and perhaps they thought we were all together. We were told if would just be a moment and someone would be with us. So we waited another 25 minutes in silence and what felt like banishment.

I decided to go find a manager and ask for some assistance as I was trying to give the benefit of the doubt and weren't in a rush (obviously we are clocking in at an hour at this point) I was told by a server that there was a party of 26 and that might have bogged down service. I ever so politely pointed out how long we had been seated, that other patrons have came and went since we had been seated and we have yet to even get a glass of water. They assured me they'd get the manager right way. Ah last, this was not to be. The manager had relayed to the server that they were "too busy" to see me at the moment and they needed 20 minutes or so. I emphasized how we have yet to even see a server and it was imperative we see someone who could fix this as this would be a horrible representation of their organization. She agreed, walked away, and never returned.

Defeated, parched, hungry, and frustrated, we 6 grabbed our belongings and walked across the parking lot to finally have a meal at a lovely Greek eatery, after almost 2 hours of waiting. We have yet to hear from anyone and one out of 3 hosts even offered a somewhat sincere apology for lack of service. I say somewhat because they brought up the rather large party in the main eating area, to which my wife queried why they would even seat other patrons if they couldn't meet or handle such a demand.

TLDR: we sat for 2 hours and didn't get any service not even a glass of water. The manager was too busy to help or just didn't care

0/10 would not recommend unless you apparently have a...

There are many other places you can go for a better experience/food. The floor at this location was extremely dirty, the air smelled musty and the staff was disorganized.

That's just for starters. I've dined here before as with another location and let's just say it's nothing special.

On this occasion I was visiting as a DoorDash driver. To date I've personally had several hundred deliveries using this service. It's side income for me and I generally find it to be fun and rewarding. I also get to check out tons of new spots to dine, some of which are right in my own backyard.

When delivering from this Hickory Tavern location there seemed to be some issue with the order. I arrived before the scheduled pickup time, was told it was being finished and proceeded to wait. Eventually about 10 minutes went by (honestly no big deal, even though I had a second order waiting for me at a different restaurant) so I approached a different employee since the first person disappeared. This time I was told it would be 4 more minutes. I then sat back down and proceeded to wait. Another 10 minutes goes by so I then ask a third employee what's going on. As I watch her argue with somebody in the kitchen she finally comes back and tells me that they are finishing it up.

At this point I then proceeded to the bar and asked for a manager. The bar tender rolled her eyes and said he's probably busy but she'd get him. It's now almost 30 minutes I've been here and the manager comes over with my order.

I had no intentions on being rude, I simply wanted him as the manager to know how his business was doing. I showed him my order and how late it was....

He laughed, said they were busy and that "WE DONT WORK FOR YOU!"

As a worker/person that represents one of your patrons.... that is absolutely wrong. Not only will I never dine here again, I'll never suggest anyone come here as well.

Hickory Tavern's motto says: "Come as you are; we're made for everyone."

Professionalism matters! Please explain why I was...