Hickory Bridge Farm Restaurant ~ Bed & Breakfast — Restaurant in Hamiltonban Township

This review is for the restaurant and not the Bed and Breakfast.

I honestly don't understand why people like this place so much. It is super expensive, the food is very meh, and you constantly wait for everything.

The waiting starts as soon as you arrive. Plan on waiting no matter what. Even if you are the first person in the door, you will wait. We waited 25 minutes to be seated for a reservation at 11:30am on a Sunday that I'm pretty sure they lost. When we were finally brought into the dining room, which was still completely empty almost 30 minutes after opening, they tried to sit us at a table that was too small for our party.

It's currently $40 a person as of October 2024 to dine here. For that, you really do not get much at all. Most of the food is very lackluster, and the vegetables are from a can. The dinner starts with bread and drink. Drinks are tea, water, or coffee, anything else (such as soda or juice) costs extra which is ridiculous when you are paying this much. If you are lucky, you will get enough bread for each person at the table to have a single slice. They also bring out canned peaches in a little dish. Next, the "salads" come out. They are not salads; they are plates with a very small amount of iceberg lettuce on them and some cheese. I guess they are trying to make it like this is something fancy because of their warm bacon dressing, but there is other better dressing available, which they do not tell you.

And finally, it is time for the meal. This is the part that is supposed to make it all worth wild and make up for the waiting and "salad".... right. They bring out the family style meal in dishes that are way too small for a party of people any bigger than maybe three or four. My party was six people and a child, so everyone had to take very small portions so that everyone would have something to eat. The meal consisted of oven baked chicken with some sort of glaze on it, baked ham with more glaze on it, crab imperial, canned carrots with yet more glaze, canned green beans with ham, baked potatoes, and corn fritters in powdered sugar. First and foremost, someone please tell the chef that EVERYTHING DOESN’T NEED A GLAZE. The crab imperial is ok if that is your thing, but it didn’t impress me at all. I wiped off the gross glaze from the chicken and ham and that was then ok. In all honesty, the best dish was the canned green beans and ham. That is the majority of what I ate… for $40.00… I ate canned green beans. Once everyone gets their small position of the meal it takes all but a minute to eat it and then you are back to waiting again for refills. I’m sure this is a strategy on purpose so that people will have time to digest the miniscule amount of food they have eaten thus far and stop eating, leaving the owners with more profits since the meals probably cost only a fraction to make compared to what they charge the public. Then you get some dessert, and if you don’t care about sugar like me, that means all of diddlysquat.

The service on our last visit was actually pretty good but I think that was mostly because we were there when they first opened, and they were not busy. I have reluctantly been to this restaurant on several occasions over the years due to family gatherings and events and typically service is not very good once they get busy. Once they do get busy the dining room becomes very cramped and loud. If you go during prime dinner hours expect to be packed in like cattle, oh, and expect lots of screaming babies and kids too, just what everyone wants when you are paying five-star premium prices for something that it most certainly is not.

In conclusion, I don’t get it. It baffles and astounds me that people flock to this place. Even my own family thinks it is good, till we get there, and they are all upset and disappointed at the lack of service and the constant waiting. It’s like they zap people on the way out with a mind erase device that makes everyone forget about the bad experience they just had so that they...

I want to share a great experience. -Easter Sunday (4/9/23) - It was a chilly and very sunny day. I decided to take a drive ("A Let Me See What I can See" Excursion) from Harrisburg to somewhere else in South Central PA. After 2 hrs of small towns, historical markers, etc., I found myself near Gettysburg and was getting hungry. Using Google Maps, I searched for a restaurant I enjoyed before and thought it might be nearby. I search for "Hickory Ridge" and got a listing, but Google said "Hickory Bridge Farm Restaurant" was much closer. Being the Curious George that I am, I decided to try it. The place was crowded, inside and out. Groups of people everywhere. Since I was a single diner, I asked to put my name on the wait list, knowing it would take a while. (Come to think of it, there were no 'couples' there either.) To pass time, I visited the Country Store. It is loaded with antique tools, furniture, pics, documents, candy, cards, plaques, and more. I met a local gentleman there who had just finished a meal in the restaurant with his family. He described the "menu" and assured me I would not be disappointed. He knew the owners, pointing out that the cashier lady in the Country Store was one. We talked a bit of ourselves and learned we are both retired Baby Boomers. As we left the Country Store, he offered to show me The Big Red Barn, a short walk from the Store. That is when I learned the restaurant was part of a Bed And Breakfast facility with "extras." As we walked back to the restaurant, he said he'd better get going because his wife, who was recovering from a leg injury, apparently took off with the rest of the family in the car they came in. He said maybe he can walk off some of his big dinner. About 15 minutes later, my name was called and I was seated. Then it really hit me. Everyone there was part of a group (family). I felt even more embarrassed when I learned later that reservations for Easter Day were completely filled by mid-March. Hickory Bridge Restaurant serves Family Style meals . . . by RESERVATION! No one said one word about me NOT HAVING one. They assured me I would get a table. The meal includes EVERYTHING ! ! ! No ala carte options. So, I'm sitting there with Chicken Breast with Cordon Bleu sauce(Good), Baked Ham w/raisin sauce (Nice), and a boat of Crab Imperial(Really Good). Sides were sliced carrots, green beans, fire roasted potatoes, cooked apples. So, my small table was quickly covered with plates. (I am so glad I skipped the initial soup/salad options.) The servers and attendants were very kind, and . . . tolerant as the only "family" at my table was me, myself , and I. The server was patient in explaining how the meal would be brought to the table. (My embarrassment crept up again when I thought, "Man, that's a lot of work for one person!) Anyway, each main dish was tasty. The side dishes were not overcooked and worked well with each main dish. Yes, I was very satisfied and more than full, but I hardly made a dent in the amount of food that was delivered to my table. {It seems that the meals are designed to let you "hunt and peck" as you chat with others at the table.} The Bottom Line: The restaurant made extra effort to take care of me as a single diner, with no reservation. Commiserating with the customers and staff was a very pleasant experience. So, Thank you for the good food and company on Easter Day. This one of my favorite "Let Me See What I Can See"...

Wedding Review

We explored many venues around the area and I can't imagine going with any other than Hickory Bridge, I am already recommending it to other engaged couples! We got married in a chapel but had our reception at Hickory Bridge in the restaurant and these are my takeaways- PROFESSIONALISM Angie, the wedding coordinator was absolutely AMAZING! She has YOUR back and will do anything in her power to make your vision come to life. Even though she is a woman of many talents, she always clears time in her schedule to make sure everything is right, and answer any and all questions. She lays out all of your options with NO hidden fees (this was important to me) and honors your choice, no questions asked. BEAUTY This venue is stunning. Between the restaurant itself and the Red Shed, they can do it all! Small rustic weddings, big elaborate weddings, there is something for anybody. There are so many beautiful locations outside the venue to get gorgeous wedding photos taken. They keep authentic farmhouse charm but can also give you an elegant feel if you so prefer. BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! We were very pleased with the total cost seeing all that was included. Instead of one small plate per guest the nature of their restaurant is to really feed people as the guests see fit, and they do NOT compromise on quality. There is a wide variety of dishes to choose from, numerous sides, and they even included appetizers/charcuterie and an open bar option for guests while bridal party got photos done. Their alcohol selection (if you so prefer it) is large. The raspberry rum punch was a real crowd pleaser! And considering that Angie is there to help make every detail perfect in your own way, I have already started recommending it to others I know are engaged. She has inclusive options for every budget! I am so blown away by the way Angie presented my desserts and gift/favor tables. Several guests told me the food was the best of any wedding they had been to. We were even able to use the Bed and Breakfast to get hair and makeup done at no added cost which helped so much with space and time. And don't forget they have secluded cottages in the woods that you can rent for 2+ nights! I spent the night before my wedding with my bridesmaids to have some girl time, and the wedding night with my husband! Some if not all include a jacuzzi! I definitely recommend booking a cottage, they are adorable and right near the water. We had breakfast dropped off right at our door and it was cinnamon rolls, quiche, fresh fruit and yogurt, and orange juice. They include so many thoughtful touches in everything they do. It was very special being able to choose Hickory Bridge for my reception and if I could do it all again I would not change a...