Old Hickory Inn Barbecue — Restaurant in Houston

If you are a worker and only have 30 minutes for lunch this is not the place to go as they are very slow to process orders. My experience today was no exception as I had to leave after placing an order because after 20 minutes of waiting I ran out of time.

When I arrived they had no one at the counter taking orders, so there was a line, they processed a large family order and every order before and after mine but simply ignored mine to talk with the couple who placed the large family order until I had to leave. At the time I walked out the couple began taste testing their food at the service prep counter.

The staff here are completely oblivious to the idea of the lunch rush. The fondly framed picture of the car that once crashed into their dining room so prominently mounted on the wall is an avid reminder that their primary customer base is retirees and things just operate at a different pace here. You should set your expectations accordingly, maybe bring a book.

To me this modern art master piece serves as both a tribute to the customers and a warning to others, the warning being that one of them already tried to park their car in the dining room and you should probably keep one eye on the parking lot when placing an order as it could happen again.

My experiences with this place over the years leads me to share with you how overwhelming mediocre I think it is, and that if was located outside of the braeswood food desert it would not survive. The beef brisket I find a bit soggy and lacking flavor, the sausage is generally good, the last time I tried the chicken it was dry and flavorless. The other sides are bland and the couple in front of me would want me to relay to you that they don't sell Mac-n-Cheese.

The onion rings are good but the french fries are terrible, given they come prepared and straight from the freezer and are tossed into the fryer I don't know how that is even possible. If you get your order to go you will never make it home before everything is soggy because of the way it is packaged together and sealed in a paper bag which holds in all the moisture.

In retrospect I don't know why I went here other than the convenience, but todays events have provided clarity and guidance that one reason is gone and I...

Nice place with good Barbecue at a decent price. The staff we interacted with was awesome and very welcoming. As a place relatively close we would definitely be back. The food was the best in the nearby area if we want similar service with better cue we have to drive about 20-30 minutes. We can get better flavor but the staff here makes it worth skipping the other place and the fact that the prices are better pretty much guaranteed we'll not be going to the other place that's a little further out. As a realist I will be honest they aren't going to win a competition with their Barbecue but it is actually good, their potato salad is better than most in Houston they have a good menu of sides and if you ask me that is a good thing. What's better is they are consistent we've been places that the cue knocked our socks off and had comparable service but the next trip it wasn't as good. Old Hickory Inn stays consistent, so solid flavor good sides and close to home for a decent price I can't complain. Oh and 4 stars is it for Houston that is the top rating period. We have 5 star rated places but they are hundreds of miles away and extremely hard to find but they match on service and consistency with better flavor but, they are also expensive and expensive to travel to. I will take solid consistent flavor and great service close to home every day. If Google allowed us a more detailed rating I would give 5 stars for service, 4 stars for price and flavor but we can't so I'll base the rating on the flavor. However keep up the great work and...

First off, no restaurant has everything perfect every time. Some folks just live to complain. I have been eating here several years multiple times per week. They have a wide variety of food on their menu. I have eaten every item on this menu, multiple times. This restaurant has a consistency in the food quality, customer service and cleanliness. You don't stay in business in the food industry for over sixty years if your product sucks. There have been times when something may not have been up to the usual standards, but unlike most other places, these folks are generally concerned about customer satisfaction. I have never received a negative response if politely voicing a concern with a particular item of question, in person. Going home and hiding behind a keyboard and bashing a business is childish. If you have a concern about something, share the concern in person politely. You can't fix what you don't know is broken. I will continue to dine at this establishment for years to come. The food quality is consistent, the staff is courteous and pleasant, the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant and the establishment is clean. Management genuinely cares. Not all people like the same things. If this restaurant is not your cup of tea then don't eat here. Don't be a keyboard pansy and go blasting a business because you aren't happy. You can't please everyone all the time. Life is too short to constantly do nothing but look for the negative and expect the world to cater to...