Hickory River Smokehouse
5101 W Holiday Dr, Peoria, IL, 61615
Hickory River Smokehouse Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Peoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Peoria for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Peoria for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
5101 W Holiday Dr
Peoria, IL, 61615 - Phone (309) 683-1227
- Website https://www.hickoryriver.com/node/14
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kathleen J.
Best barbecue you'll find north of the Mason Dixon line. The Cue Shoe is my personal favorite and the only thing I ever get. I have had it with the original pulled pork and mixed it up with the low fat smoked turkey breast. Can't go wrong either way. I prefer the mild sauce but the hot is a good kick for anyone looking for something a bit spicy. Other good items fellow table mates have ordered and enjoyed are the ribs and any of the sides. Mac n cheese is good and cheesy! Some of the best sweet corn bread I've had outside of my kitchen. Definitely a family style restaurant where you order your food in line and then grab a table. Definitely Texas barbecue at its best.
(5)Rochelle S.
Enjoyed the BBQ. The staff was very friendly and willing to give suggestions of the food when asked. The brisket was good. BBQ sauce on the side (glad they asked) and today their side veggie was a drunken apple. They were amazing and I would go back just for them. The only think I would have liked to see would be a green veggie on the menu, which is normally a standard in the south. But even without them I thought their menu was diverse and everyone could find something they would like. Their pricing was good for the amount of food you got. I will be going back.
(4)Melody H.
My husband and I have eaten at this location a couple of times. I'm from Alabama and he lived in Texas for years, so we know BBQ. This place makes a good attempt, but we both agree that it's not the same caliber as most of the places down south. My husband has eaten the brisket, pulled pork and the link sausage with mac and cheese and mashed potatoes and cornbread as the sides. He says it's all okay (it satisfies his BBQ craving, nothing more). The portions are rather disappointing. Almost every other BBQ place I've eaten at gives larger than average portions, so the ones that he got seemed pretty small in comparison. Part of a really good BBQ restaurant is their sauce. It has to be special. Unfortunately every version of Hickory River's sauce reminds me of Sweet Baby Rays. Not that I don't enjoy Sweet Baby Rays sauce, but if I'm going to a restaurant, I expect something different. The only reason the place got 3 stars is because of the "Cue Shoe", which is what I've most enjoyed. Being from Alabama, I'm a newcomer to the central IL horseshoe. For those who are ignorant like I was, the horsehoe is a piece of Texas toast topped with fries, some type of meat and a cheese sauce. The one here is topped with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and the cheese sauce. My biggest issue with this is that they NEVER put enough of the cheese on it, so I have to order extra. I have no compliments or complaints about the service as both times we went in and ordered to go through the line, so it was pretty painless. The prices aren't horrible, but I'm not convinced that they are worth the portion size, except in the case of the Cue Shoe. The meat plates don't seem worth it at all. If you're looking for a fast, fairly cheap BBQ meal to satisfy a craving, I think Hickory River would suffice. Otherwise, I'd say go down the street to Famous Dave's. Larger portions and much tastier.
(3)FoodZen O.
That was good. I ordered the sliced brisket with hot bbq. Too bad I don't get to Peoria very often or this place would see me regular.
(5)Shaun B.
Usually go for lunch. They have an affordable Lunch Special ($7.50 or $8.50 w/drink). Service is fast and the food is good. (I would prefer a bit more sauce)
(4)Stephan D.
The beef brisket had a great smokey flavor and the portion size was large The staff are friendly and the restaurant was very clean!
(5)Marcus H.
Service was HORRIBLE! Was ordering carry out! Server was very nice and smiling with all the customers in front of me! When my turn came, smile went away and instant attitude came. I ask how many sides I get , was told if I get okra , I can't get another. So I ask can I get two sides as normal and pay for the okra extra, was told NO . So too avoid confrontation I ordered two sides and walked to door,came back and ordered the okra ,she knew what I was doing and threw the bag on the counter,like I'm wrong for wanting okra! Guess they not use too interacting with Afro Americans and not trained by managers that all customers are the same,money is the same
(1)Kylie K.
Just got done eating here. I got the smokehouse combo #2 with baby back ribs, pulled pork, & beef brisket with sides of coleslaw and mashed potatoes & gravy. 8.5/10 Delicious pulled pork, 5/10 dry beef brisket (with BBQ sauce 7/10), 7/10 for the ribs. Like other comments, couldn't taste the smoke flavor, but overall I would totally come here for lunch. Its kind of expensive; I paid 19.25 or so for this. My family & I agree: this is a yummo quick lunch place, but way too expensive for dinner. OH!!! The freaking coleslaw!!! Do NOT order if you don't like vinegar slaw... :( I learned the hard way. EDIT: When the chick came to pick up our plates, she noticed I didn't eat the slaw. Replaced it with potato salad which is the bomb! 9/10. Great customer service & updated rating from 3/5 to 4/5 stars overall.
(4)Gavin B.
I've been here once before but it has been awhile. Was in the mood for some BBQ and am not disappointed. Service was quick, super friendly and the food is tasty and plentiful. Got the 3 meat combo plate. Yum.
(5)Tia D.
I expected some better bbq from this place just by the name of it "Hickory" meh, not so much, tried a combo of chicken, brisket and ribs. I couldn't taste the smoke at all, the brisket was a bit dry, in fact it all was a bit dry but bbq sauce helped it along. The service was fast and friendly but not worth a second visit in my book.
(2)Mike N.
I've been to a few "Texas" style bbq places in Central Illinois and they are all very similar. You walk up and order in line and take you tray back to your table, eat, and leave the tray on table. I ordered the beef brisket and turkey and they were very good. For my two sides, I ordered two bowls of chili and they were good too. Sweet tea was great and had I not had to drive so far home, I would have had a few beers. Seem to have a good selection of beer. I enjoyed my meal as did my wife and afterwards we walked it off at the Gander Mountain "Gun" store across the lot. I'll be back to both.
(4)Dave B.
Good stuff. Signature sauces are great. Place is clean staff is friendly. Kind of a lunch line style order. Price is reasonable. I had the "cue shoe". Bbq Pulled pork with fries piled on and cheese sauce on everything. Pork was excellent. I used their mixed bbq sauce which was awesome. Cole slaw was different but good. My friend had the brisket, corn bread, mashed, and Mac n cheese. He said the corn bread, mashed and mac needed needed work, but that the brisket was great. This seems like a smaller family owned restaurant. Ill be back for sure.
(4)Stephanie R.
We've eaten here a couple of times. This last time we both tried the turkey sandwich. The turkey was juicy and very good! We prefer to get the "mixed" sauce, which still has a bit of kick to it. The sweet corn isn't my thing (too sugary), but the fried apple type side was great. The employees are friendly and the dining area, which was formerly a Famous Daves, has a nice BBQ restaurant decor.
(4)J M.
We have family that live in Texas and this is as good as it gets for local (midwest) BBQ that we have come by here. The meat is very flavorful and they spend hours perfecting it. Any true BBQ lover knows that it's not supposed to be about the sauce. It's all about the rub! The atmosphere is fun and the food is delicious. Try the Q Shoe!! It's amazing!
(5)Jay M.
My hopes were high, I was disappointed. Although the food was good! the guys behind the counter were very friendly as well as the girl at the register! But My issue is BBQ needs to stand out. the menu is also not easy to navigate. The sides were mediocre
(2)Phill C.
Was visiting a friend in the area and stopped here for lunch. I must have gone on an off-day, since I had a very dry beef brisket. The bbq sauces were pretty good and helped bring back some moisture to the brisket. The service was quick and friendly, but I wasn't a fan of the bbq. Next time I'm in Peoria, I'll give this place another try.
(2)Tom C.
This place advertises itself as genuine Texas BBQ and makes a passable attempt at looking like you've just magically transported to Austin. Ok, I've lived in Austin and in Texas, mesquite smoked brisket and beef ribs are king. Not to say they don't do a decent pork butt, shoulder or ribs in the lone star state but those are more Memphis and deep south items. So I was a bit disappointed when I didn't see beef ribs or anything mentioning mesquite on the menu, or any homemade smoked sausages but I know I'm in Illinois after all where guns are just about outlawed and all those Shiner city and beer signs and Texas flags and license tags are only for show. I order the brisket and as some others have commented, they were a bit dry with just barely enough (ok, not enough) smokey flavor, and I didn't really notice any discernible smoke ring either. My sides of Texas Chili and potato salad didn't really knock my socks off either. Texas Chili has lots of cumin (main ingredient in chili powder) and this was just lacking. Not bad chili, but definitely not Texas chili either. I've had worse potato salad, but I was hoping theirs would be better. My co-workers had a nachos with pulled pork dish that they enjoyed, but then again, they're native mid-westerners too! Just kidding - it was pretty good, but again the pulled pork seemed a bit dry and just didn't have that deep smokey flavor for my tastes. I tried both hot and sweet sauces and there wasn't anything special enough about them to make them really memorable. I'm fairly sure they weren't homemade sauces, but probably something from a commercial restaurant supplier. Service on the other hand, was friendly and excellent as was their sweet tea - it was even sweet enough (just barely!) for this southern boy. So why only 2 stars? As I've said before I'm picky about my barbecue, and maybe today I'm especially so. This ain't a hole-in-the-wall mom and pop place folks, this looks to be a chain of some sorts and it's definitely got some money behind it, so I'm not cutting them any slack. My expectations are just higher, and they just don't quite deliver the Texas barbecue I'm used to getting. I know there's some reviewers that've said they frequent Texas and said it was authentic; they must not go to the same BBQ joints I go to. Maybe their pork and other sides are better and maybe I caught the brisket on an off day, but for this visit it was worth 2 stars as Meh, I've experienced better pretty well sums it up.
(2)Misti A.
only went here once. there is nothing Texas about this bbq! I will not return! do not like the fast food feel of order at the counter. food was ok. do not recommend it to anyone.
(1)Willard M.
it was so good our son ate it all an we loved the atmosphere
(4)John S.
Been here twice now since I moved to Peoria earlier this summer, both positive experiences. Tried the beef brisket dinner most recently, and I believe pulled pork the first time. Both were tasty meals as were the sauces. Sides were good though not outstanding. Having chili available as a side was a nice touch though. Prices reasonable, though a bit higher than I would've expected. The most noticeable thing was probably the service, it's very good. Very welcoming as you go to place your order (cafe style), they check up on you during your meal, and they give you a friendly good bye on your way out. Seems to be very well run. I really enjoy barbecue, and it was good here. And the service is memorable, so I'll be back.
(4)Jordan M.
A friend of mine recommended eating here and I was not disappointed. This place reminds me of a few of the BBQ joints around the Austin, TX area. Overall they have a good sauce that isn't too anything, just a good hickory flavored sauce. I went with the local favorite "The 'Cue Shoe. Central IL is know for it's Horseshoe Sandwiches and this is their take on it. The BBQ mixed with the cheese sauce was awesome!
(4)Chris D.
Stopped here for lunch this afternoon. The first thing you will notice is the smell of smoke when you walk into the place. I had the three meat sampler with pulled pork, brisket, and pork loin. The pulled pork and brisket was awesome and the loin was nothing really special. I would go back again when I am in Peoria.
(4)E T.
Oh man...I have nothing else to say about this place but YUM! Since my original review, I've been back multiple times and every single time the food was delicious! I haven't been able to get myself to try anything else but the pulled pork and the brisket...because its so good! Recommended sides: Cole slaw, mac and cheese and the sweet corn! Don't bother with the other BBQ chain across the street...nothing compares (in this area at least) to Hickory River!
(4)Dan S.
I rate Texas Barbecue joints with very heavy weight on the brisket. This sliced brisket is not quite what I like. It was thin sliced and too dry. Everything else was aces. I do recommend Hickory River.
(3)Richard F.
I just moved in the area with my wife at the beginning of the year, and this place was down the street. Gave it shot, and it wasn't bad. The service was excellent, but it is more of a cafeteria style service. You go up to the window and order the food. They do have beer and the prices are reasonable. I prefer Famous Daves on the barbecue side, but the food here was good. Just nothing super special. Worth a look though.
(3)Josh K.
One word: AWESOME! The chopped beef brisket is the best in Central Illinois. The new Famous Dave's across the street is like the ugly red-headed step child of barbecue in comparison. I go there once a week, despite living 20 miles away.
(5)Jasmine R.
The food here made me sick, everything from the smell to the ambiance. I had the chicken and it was yucky.I am surprised the reviews are so good. I would not eat here again.
(1)Aaron W.
Passable barbecue, tastes chainlike to me but I am kinda picky about my bbq!
(2)Jack R.
Just straight up barbecue, pure and simple. Not much in the way of atmosphere, but the food is very good and reasonably priced. The sign says real Texas barbecue and that is what you get, nothing more, nothing less.
(4)