Inferno Tavern — Restaurant in Hickory

Let me start by saying I was so excited to try this place. Made reservations (not that it mattered) and came 15 before my scheduled time. There is no host. What’s the point in making a reservation? Sat ourselves at our table. Took 10 minutes to be greeted. Remy (the server) did his best. Placed out drink order. After 15 minutes, walked up to the bar to get our own drinks. And one of them was wrong. The bartender read Pinot Noir and poured a Pinto Grigio. Whatever. Ordered a spicy margarita. The margarita was delicious!!!! Took another 15 minutes for remy to take our order. Caesar Salad? BOMB! Only thing we liked. Wings came out BURNT. Sorry, there’s a difference between broiled and burnt. Jalapeño poppers??? Burnt to a crisp. And let me not even start on the vibe, if you are a POC, I would not go there. Everyone was staring and making us feel totally uncomfortable. This is not a place for people of color, and people who like people of color. A woman came from the back, who I’m assuming is the cook, talked a lot of mess… and looked at our table… Sorry you don’t know the difference between burnt and crispy? I still paid for my crappy tacos and tipped 50 percent. It wasn’t remys fault. I booked this reservation, for my close friends… And I’ve never been more embarrassed. You guys can enjoy your burnt food and bland flavor. A true...

Bluesy, boozy, and beautiful! The Inferno Tavern is another local gem with broad appeal for adults. Tonight (Saturday) they had a live blues band and they were by far and away the best such talent I’ve heard. The band fit right in and set the tone of this Tavern which has three distinct serving areas; a main dining room with bar, a more private dining room, and a billiard lounge. We had a reserved table in the red room (private dining). We were celebrating a birthday and the staff had thoughtfully decorated the table in advance with lighted “22” for us. A nice touch. The red room is one of those wonderful spaces that I could spend hours reading a book with a couple of Old Fashioneds….

The bar appeared to be well stocked and although their printed cocktail menu might look abbreviated, I’m confident that they can make you whatever you’re into.

The food was hot and delicious. No issues here. Tasty and fresh with plenty of creative options on the menu. Thankfully the menu was well planned and focused. The variety of offerings is perfect.

The vibe here (at night anyway) is almost Speakeasy like. Vibrant, rich, colors live alongside natural textures and classic furniture. Beautiful lighting and decor means someone was paying attention to details. All of this comes together to make the Inferno Tavern your new favorite...

My family and I sat down at Inferno Tavern around 6:30 p.m. and it took nearly 10 minutes before a server came by to take our drink and appetizer order. Unfortunately, the wait didn’t improve from there. Our food didn’t arrive until about 1 hour and 10 minutes later, and when it did, it was disappointing for the price and the wait.

Honestly, we wanted to leave after sitting there for 30 minutes with no food, but my sister had heard great things about Inferno Tavern and wanted to try it out for her birthday. Sadly, it didn’t live up to the hype.

The pizza, burger, fries, and loaded mac and cheese (which was supposed to be made from scratch) were all just average. The chicken chimichurri entrée was dry and overwhelmed with onions, carrots, and microgreens, which is not worth what they charge for it.

To be fair, the servers were clearly trying their best, but there were only two of them handling everything: serving, bartending, and running food, which made the whole experience slow and chaotic.

Overall, the service wasn’t bad and the server was nice. It was the long wait, and mediocre food that made this visit underwhelming, and it definitely didn’t feel worth the time or money, especially for a...