Cranford Brother's Barbecue — Restaurant in Hickory

I really don't know how to start this review. I found out about this place because its in my home town of Hickory, NC which made me really wanna try this place out because I now live in Charlotte. Most people who live in Charlotte will Travel to smaller towns to experience the better BBQ outside of the city. There are a few notable places surrounding charlotte that I've been to two or more times and have really understood what the pit master is trying to achieve with the handling their smoked meats from fridge to smoker to table and are involved in every step of all the food being served. I myself being a chef in the industry for 20 plus years and BBQ hobbyist/ enthusiast I've come to understand a lot about the current scene of BBQ in America.

Walking into Cranford's BBQ I was deceived off the sight of the fact that there was no line out the door. The place is nice, well lit, amazing décor, Texas flag hanging on the wall. I felt like I was gonna be in for a treat. Unlike other BBQ places I've been to in the state that are doing Third wave Texas style BBQ this is a sit down restaurant and are greeted with a host and server is there to take your order. in hindsight should have raised a red flag for me because usually I'm in a line and being asked by the person slicing the meats how much meat do I want, my tray is being made right in front of me with payment at the end of the line. Choosing BBQ off of a menu at the table should not be a concept in this scene. I ordered the six smoked wings as an appetizer which came to the table fresh and hot they were good. I also ordered the 3 meat platter. Brisket, pulled pork, Smoked Turkey, with 2 sides plus 2 extra sides. typical of what I order at other BBQ places, but right off the bat when the food came I saw the brisket was looking like beef jerkey and tasted as salty. the pork was not made the morning of as it tasted stale and vinegary. the turkey sliced way too thin was moist but cold and smokeless in flavor. all of the sides where not prepared well as I got the jalapeno grits which I thought was the corn casserole I ordered because it was so thick. the sweet potato casserole tasted like boiled sweet potatoes with some crumble crust they threw on top right before it went out; absolutely flavorless. the corn casserole was more like a soufflé as it was light and airy and eggy with little corn and no salt or other seasoning. and the worst of the sides was the potato salad that was undercooked and flavorless. the tray was finished off with a slice of bread out of the bag thrown on top of my tray with some pickled okra tucked to the side which were not pickled well and also flavorless.

if you live in North Carolina and or new to the state please visit Hickory NC. it's a beautiful town its a really nice place to get away from charlotte or other big cities. the food scene in hickory is amazing but the BBQ scene here is definitely putting on a front. to say this is a good representation of Texas style BBQ being served in Hickory NC is an insult to BBQ enthusiast of North Carolina and Texas. The BBQ at Cranford Brothers is made by cooks without pride and love and could care less about the BBQ experience that you are there to enjoy. I would give this place a hard no if I wanted good BBQ because you will...

I tend to focus on the good of a place, and I will get to that. However, I had to write this review as a wake up call for this establishment. It is fairly new, so the place is very nice and inviting. The smoker smells awesome inside and out. But the food is actually mediocre to bad. This was my first time, so I went in with high hopes. The a la carte meat menu with no real combo was discouraging, and expensive! The turkey and brisket were room temp, and very dry. The brisket could not be cut with considerable force with a fork. Had to get the knife for the turkey too! The smoke flavor was extremely mild so I am not sure where the smoke is going, but it’s not in the meat. The greens and slaw were terrible! I could not even choke down more than a fork full of slaw. The greens had a terrible taste, but someone was paying for my meal, so I was polite with them and ate what I could. Now for the really bad part - the sauces. Holy hell! I tried them straight, pouring some on my spoon to try them prior to applying any. The mustard, Carolina vinegar, and the standard sauce were really off-putting. Really bad flavors from each. The waiter asked if we would like some of their spicy and that was the only sauce I could stand. It was not bad, but fair to midland. I doused the dry meat with this just to get the meat somewhat juicier. Now the positive - the service was incredible and the waitress we mainly interacted with was great! Kept the drinks full, was working hard to keep everyone happy. I cannot remember her name, but really good! FIX THE FLAVORS! I see crowds of people at this location when I pass by, and I just wonder if they taste what I did. Brisket is so easy to make tender, as is the turkey. I hear the ribs are good, so there may be hope, but the only hope I have is for them to improve the flavors! Start over on the sauces. Ditch those recipes and come up with something unique, but...

Today was my second time eating at Cranford BBQ for lunch in the last month. I really wanted to like this place, but I was disappointed again. I got the pulled pork sandwich the first visit and the brisket sandwich the second visit. Both were not served warm and the meat was dry on both occasions. I even asked for the slaw on the side this time thinking that the slaw may have made the sandwich cold the last time I was there. But no, the meat wasn't warmed. The brisket was impossible to eat as a sandwich because the small chunks wouldn't stay on the bread. There was no moisture in the meat to bind the pieces together. The whole sandwich kept falling apart when you tried to pick it up. I specifically asked the server if the mac n cheese had ANY spice to it at all because I was ordering it for my two year grandchild. She said it did not. The first bite I took had a jalapeno in it. I mean come on! The mac n cheese wasn't served hot either. The only food that came out hot were the French fries, but they had way too much black pepper on them.

The following policy I find completely unacceptable for any establishment; the server brought back my change from paying cash and I was told, "we don't return change (coins). So for example if your change is supposed to be $7.60, they only bring you back $7.00. Who are they to decide they will keep my money? I do not care if it's a penny. It is not okay to have such a presumptuous and disrespectful policy. Both times I visited there were only two tables seated in the entire restaurant during what should have been the lunch rush (12:00-12:45). I think it stinks when locally-owned establishments don't make it. Especially with all the work they put into renovating that building. I hope they are reading these reviews and asking customers what they are doing wrong so they can turn it around. Even if the food was great, the "change" policy alone will stop me from...