Hickory's Smokehouse in Cheshire West and Chester

I’ve been to hickory’s a couple of times before, Phoebe, who I understand is training is an absolute delight. So friendly, with a smile constantly on her face, nothing was too much trouble. The food was just what the dr ordered and service impeccable. 5 stars all round

Phoebe was an amazing server and the food was fantastic

Good rats good time don't know if I played though

Over hyped and over rated. Just a glorified McDonald's.

Very busy place and good atmosphere. Food was expensive and didn't live up to expectations. The onion rings were greasy, and the portion size v cost doesn't match up. Staff are friendly. I wouldn't go again, but it's always good to try new places.

Great food and location. Definitely go back.

Overrated food was ok sevice was very hence the three

We only stopped for a drink but it's a friendly place with great atmosphere. Going back for food 1 day for sure at one of the restaurants .

Food always tasty there amazing meat friendly staff

Food is so amazing if you like that sort of thing but last time we waited 30 mins to have our order taken and they forgot it twice, and gave us the wrong bill, most of the time was spent waiting around for ages. Waitress was great but looks like management was being stupid, calling them for "team meetings" at 5:30pm on a Friday, a bit odd. Regardless the food and drinks here and great just looks like the staff were fed up

We visited Tuesday 15th of April. The food was truly amazing, the young lady who was looking after us was absolutely brilliant considering she was just learning. Would highly recommend this place, very highly.

Lovely river side American Diner

Food and drinks were incredible. The portions are large! Loved the popcorn to start, each dish was delicious, well cooked and presented.

We have been here about 10 times! I valled to book a table asap as we were in Chester, the girl on the phone told us to get there asap abd she woukd find us a table. We walked a fair distance to get there, to be shown a shelf by the window with high stools, my wife is barely 5 foot tall, her feet would be dangling! Thats not very comfortable! The girl said that it was the only thing she had, i said i was willing to wait, it was 7pm now, she said ok, you can wait until 9pm!! The attitude she had was horrible, she couldnt give a damn!! No customer skills at all, her attitude was take it or leave it! I initially asked for a table, clearly this wasnt!! I will never ever step foot in the establishment again!!!

Absolutely brilliant. Will definitely return if ever back in Chester.

My first time there.. Food was brilliant, service was on point.

Amazing as always brilliant food and brilliant staff

Excellent food and drink at reasonable prices. Warm, friendly staff and great atmosphere. Enjoy Ratty and Mole, messing about in boats on the river!

Update. Hickorys reached out and have gone to the trouble of trying to make things right. So in the end a positive outcome. Went here for a special event last November with my 2 kids: 11 and 14. We got sat next to a table out for a company outing/meal. They'd clearly had a couple of rounds before we arrived and steadily as the meal progressed they got louder and started to F-bomb and relay stories of weekend conquests and sexual exploits. Obviously not very ideal for me and the kids. When we left - the first thing my eldest said "well that was horrible" - so I went back inside to talk to ask for contact details for a manager. It seemed I had got lucky because I talked to a Chris Lewtas who said he was a manager and when I exaplained the situation he appologied, told me to email him and he would resolve. Having got a fairly quick reply to my email offfering us return meal and visit and to look after us - I wrote and wanted to verify the meal would be complimentary as a gesture of good will sort of thing, since it was not explicit .... and having had £120 meal ruined once, I didn't feel like we should pay again for us to have a dining experience that we should have enjoyed the first time. Since then I heard nothing. I called to make sure he was still working there - left messages and I have heard absolutely nothing from them. Having been to the location on multiple occaisions previously we won't be returning.

You can't go wrong with The Smokehouse. You can definitely taste the smoke within the food and believe me, it's good food. Luckily, you can't taste it within the cheesecake. I had the chicken and beef burger, and it was soo good. To say it was a busy Saturday night, the service was efficient, and we were never waiting long. Can not complain at all, except the parking. Very scenic location but not great for parking.

Great good and super view of the river. Excellent service but be aware food is pricey.

Popped in for a drink as we were walking past on a recent visit to Chester, We did not eat so can not really comment about the food however it looked great. Enjoyed the view looking across the river in the sun. Would definitely go back and perhaps try some food next time.

This is a great restaurant. We turned up an hour early with an extra person than originally booked for. They said no problem give us 10mins get a table ready. Staff and service was great. Drinks menu was good also.

We went here to celebrate a successful interview! We never asked for any special conditions or left any notes to follow just mentioned it when asked about our day. The server/restaurant went out of their way to wish me luck in the absolute cutest way imaginable. It was such a kind gesture that absolutely made my day that much more special! I wish I remembered her name to commend such a lovely act. The food at this establishment is outstanding! By far the best restaurant i've ever been! But I must commend the service as it is truly on another level! Every single time I have been they surprise me on how good they are, but after yesterday they've left me speechless. Many thanks to the server and the team for such a lovely experience!

The food was amazing 👏 The service is fabulous 👌

Excellent American food! Great friendly service and atmosphere, good value for money. I would highly recommend!

Good food. Nice staff. No blue light discount and a bit pricey.

Expensive and portion sizes gone down, but lovely food

Amazing food and great with my husbands gluten intolerance

I prefer the one in Wrexham but this one is still pleasant.

Great food and drink, friendly staff. Music and people a tad on tje loud side, we were in a boorh so wasnt too bad. There is also a cinema in the resturant. Mens toilets are clean and not cramped, cant comment on female toilets. I had the platter for one and there was plenty of meat, all cooked beautifully. Partner had the steak and was cooked to their liking perfectly. The cloudy lemonade was good, the mojito was more of an rum tasting one rather than a mint/lime tasting but was still nice.

Me and wife were very excited to try out Hickory’s as it’s always looked great when we've walked past. Arrived for our booking on time and were promptly sat down at our table outside, ordered within 10 mins and then we were forgotten. It was impossible to get any staff members attention from our table, 50 mins go by and I get up to find someone for an update on our drinks, I find the waitress who took our order only to be unapologetically told she had never even sent our food or drink order through but would send it now, we ended up just leaving feeling very disappointed.

Ethan was absolutely brilliant he went above and beyond for us.

We’re regular customers here, and the staff is always great, but today, Courtney absolutely exceeded our expectations! Her attention to detail, friendliness, and outstanding customer service made our visit exceptional. Huge thanks again, Courtney – you’re a star

Came here last night with my wife and 3 year old daughter. The staff were first class. All of them were so polite and on the ball. The food was absolutely excellent and plentiful. I enjoyed a look round the smokers and chilli sauce. They even brought out a cake and firework candle when they realised it was my girls birthday the next day. Thanks for a great night

Absolutely amazing! I cannot thank the staff enough, we were waiting a while for our table to be ready. The manager came over to apologise and offered free desserts. My son was also extremely exhausted after a full day as Chester Zoo and didnt eat anything at all. They removed his food off the bill. The manager was absolutely excellent and always made sure we were ok, the food was incredible, quick service and tasted great! Thank you for a great meal and excellent service!

Stunning food and worth every penny..just love it every time.... The long cooked pulled Pork is like mmmmmmm.. Irresistibly finger locking good.

Beef brisket has changed since green king took over. Not the same quality as a few years ago. Had it a few times, it's definitely different.

The steak was the smallest steak I’ve ever seen. They promised free coffees but they took too long so we left.

Only stopped in for a drink today as we had already eaten but staff very accommodating and friendly. Sat outside in the spring sunshine where there was blankets available which was a lovely touch. Lovely Aperol and Budweiser. Great outdoor space overlooking the river.

Here we are again me and my Cheeky Chick checking in to the Hickory for an evening by the river, turns out we made another good choice on our break. All out fun night after being greeted and served by James & Meg with our booking a really good little setup here with friendly staff. Upon being seated James brought over popcorn for us to munch on whilst picking our drinks and food which was pretty cool. The cocktails are worth looking at, Meg made sure mine was done right from start to finish lighting the dollar bill  "Show me the Money" & "Passion Fruit" Are the way to go. As for the for the food with the vibe we thoroughly enjoyed the night very well looked after and a good choice for dessert "Table topped camp fire toasted marshmallows" that was a lot of fun, we will be back even if you don't remember our names James 🤣. thanks James & Meg.

Came here on the 26/03/25 and the service was top tier, the manager James was so friendly and nice along with our server I thinkkk her name was Lola? She was very busy but was very attentive to all her tables , every staff member there is so hardworking and possess amazing customer service skills ! Couldn’t recommend more 😊

Called here on 13th March while staying in Chester. Looked at several options before taking the short walk from our hotel to the Smokehouse. Although we hadn't booked and the place was very busy the hosting staff quickly found us a table. I ordered the signature brisket and my wife a brisket wrap. Absolutely delicious food served hot and after only a very short wait. The staff were excellent to the point that despite there being a service charge on the bill I also left a cash tip. Great food and great service.

Great place, great food, great atmosphere

First time here and won't be my last.

Fantastic breakfast... Deffinaly reccomend

excellent BBQ food, especially the short rib. Try and go late because at 6:30 there was an amazing amount of loud kids 🤷‍♀️

Loved it weve been there before this was our 2nd time and there will be 3rd. I wont be pointing out one by one here everything for us was bang on! Coffee was amazing too!

I have to say this place was amazing, booking I would say is essential if you do not want to be disappointed, lovely warm welcome, great location on the Dee in Chester, bag of popcorn while you wait for your meal and they bring over a large bottle of ice cold water for the table, lots of choice and best of all lots of GLUTEN FREE choices aswell, I can 100% recommend the Frickes, and if you don't know what they are you need to get to know they are amazing, the bacon bites where also devine and so where the tatties, they where just appetiser although you could just order a few of these and have them as you main, as I'm not a big eater this is defo what I will do next time, lots of choice for mains hubby had the brisket which he said was delicious melt in the mouth, I had ribs which for me where slightly dry but everything else was spot on, all in all I would say if a must try you won't be disappointed

Nice Location right by the river! Fast service friendly staff would highly recommend a visit! :)

Had a great meal with my boyfriend today. The staff is very friendly and the restaurant has a great atmosphere. I absolutely love the food it is very well seasoned, and the brisket has to be one of my favourites. Highly recommend.

The pictures say it all brilliant rack of ribs and desserts to die for just make sure you leave room for them .

I Love Everything Hickories! The Brisket, the burgers, the Mac n cheese.. Their own brand Ale, the atmosphere, in fact, there's nothing not to love!!

Very busy as always book a table to avoid queues attentive staff great food

Lovely food, great service and nice location near to the river. Rectified an error with our drinks order without fuss. Plenty of staff who were helpful and friendly without being overbearing.

Loved it here, the food was amazing and the staff were very attentive. We went on a Saturday and it was really busy I would suggest you book if you go here as they had to turn people away

What can I say guys.......fantastic food and gorgeous cocktails 🍸 😋 and coupled with excellent service 😀 👌 😄 a great dining experience 😀

Always a pleasure here. The food was great as usual and great service, especially with a birthday treat x

Came for lunch and I'm gluten free and James couldn't have been any better in explaining all the allergies and even showing me the allergy list on their iPad which is very rare for other restaurants to do. Food was great 😃

Went out of way for my brothers birthday. His fave is pecan pie and they bought it out on birthday board and knocked off the bill. Server was brilliant

Wonderful service from James, food was a high standard and had a very pleasant time.

Fantastic and friendly service, lovely see all staff happy. Gave my dog some brisket which he loved Food was vibrant and nice Free popcorn was nice

The ultimate BBQ. We visited on a Saturday evening and the place was packed. The staff, however, knew exactly what they should be doing, making the whole experience very enjoyable. We were a little early and were directed to the bar until our table was available. We enjoyed a drink while watching the England v Wales rugby on one of the many giant screens. Bang on our appointed time we were called to our table. The restaurant had recently been renovated, and we were seated in the new indoor/outdoor area. Apparently, the roof folds back in suitable weather. There is a large menu available, but as it was a first visit, there was only one possible choice to make, the platter. Why try one thing when you can taste them all? The platter is big and definitely a meat lovers' dream, meat, fries, bread, and more meat. It was all well cooked, literally falling off the bones, and so tender and juicy. The accompanying sauces and gravy were very much American style, overly sweet but absolutely delicious. For those of a lighter constitution, there are doggie boxes available for anything you are not able to eat. However, rather than a doggy box, we took option 'A' and ate the lot, and boy did my tummy let me know it was full. We decided to forgo desserts, I wonder why 🤣 I will definitely be visiting again, but I know I will never get to try a desert here as not having a platter is definitely not an option 😋

Very good six of us dined tonight for a birthday it was really good . Staff were helpful service great and the food lovely

First time we’ve been & we had the sharing platter which was amazing , will definitely will be back and try something different next time , the service was brilliant and they couldn’t do enough for us , really welcoming with great atmosphere x

I had a fantastic experience at Hickory’s in Liverpool, so I was excited to try the Chester location, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. We were seated near a couple with a dog—which I normally wouldn’t mind—but the dog kept barking, and no one checked if we were comfortable or wanted to move. The service overall felt lacking; I won’t go into too much detail, but if staff expect a tip, the service should reflect that. When we asked to take our leftovers home, instead of assisting us, they simply handed over a paper bag and some cardboard containers, leaving us to pack everything ourselves at the table. While I usually have no problem tipping for good service, having it automatically included in the bill makes it feel obligatory rather than earned. In my opinion, tipping should be based on the level of service received. Overall, I expected better based on my previous visit to another location. Hopefully, they can improve in the future.

Table booked 7 days in advance so surprised to arrive promptly and the concierge didn't have a table for us and told us to go to the bar and get some drinks while we wait for them to get a table ready for us. We were then forgotten about. Surprising after you'd phoned me in the week to check we were coming and after I'd spoken to you 1 hour before our booking to see if we could put it back 30minutes and was told it was impossible so we ensured we arrived at the original time booked only to find no table was ready for us. We then left after waiting at the bar for 15 minutes and overall we didn't feel at all welcome.

We visited on Friday morning for Brunch it was great to see the refit looks amazing we had lovely food great friendly service

so yummy definitely recommend!! lovely staff

Been here today for our sons 21st food was amazing and the staff were so welcoming our son even got to pull his own birthday pint free of charge will definitely be returning in the future

Went here for brunch and asked if we could have some pancakes on the side, rather than as a meal. The host then said 'I will ask the chef' and didn't come back to us. Anyway, food came, which by the way was absolutely delicious, and we got our two pancakes on the side. Fast forward to the bill coming and we were charged £9.50 for a Strawberry pancake meal despite only having two pancakes. It was extremely disappointing to see that we were charged for a full meal when we only enquired about having the pancakes on the side. The host said that the chef had said to put it through as that. Had the host come back and checked with us, to confirm that it was not possible to have as a 'side', we would have instead had the full pancake meal, or made another choice. When we questioned it when paying the bill the host simply said ' we were going to put it through as 2 kids pancakes but that would have been £10'. I just wish that they would have confirmed that it wasnt possible rather than charging for a full meal and not confirming that we were okay with the cost of that. Very disappointing and such a shame as we've only ever had positive experiences here but today let us down. I'm sure we will be back at some point in the future but we will certainly be more careful what we ask for. (I completely understand it wasnt an option on the menu, but just to repeat myself, we would have rather the host simply said 'we can't do that' compared to what they did do). The music from the movies was quite loud in the restaurant that mixed with the normal background music which was quite distracting. However, it wasnt very busy at the time we went and I'm sure that the movie music would have been drowned out by general chatter when it got busier. The only other thing to comment on was that we ordered two of the same muffin meals, yet both plates had different portion sizes of the Tater Tots.

Excellent visit to Hickory smokehouse with my parents today for lunch, service and food was outstanding. I can't recommend enough James our waiter was very accommodating and very generous. We can't thank him enough. We will definitely be back soon. xx

We visited after their recent refurb and had a lovely time . The food and service was great . I had the bourbon brisket tacos and they were delicious as well as the 8 hour smoked beef rib served with sweet Tennessee Gravy! Their new RIVER ROOM has a retractable roof which will be perfect for sunny day dining .

Service slow, food awful! Ordered burger and chips 16.99. Burger was lukewarm and hardly dressed at all, chips were meant to be skin-on fries but were clearly just scraps, and the “slaw” was a joke - white cabbage with mayo in a classless cardboard box. No napkins, no “is everything ok with your meal?” Save yourself disappointment and go elsewhere

Dined here on 3rd March 2025, greeted in a polite and friendly manner, seated quickly, order taken quickly, food arrived without delay and was very nice. No complaints, enjoyed the visit, will return in the future.

The new conservatory is lovely but I was frozen! I'm sure it'll be lovely in the summer months but avoid when it is 0 degrees outside. Ask for a table inside.

Restaurant itself, very nice. Food is lovely but some of the sizes are just a tad small for the prices. Service is top class. Atmosphere, music is great, personally prefer more bluesy music than Country but that's not a problem , overall look is fantastic. Will definitely go again.

We've had quite a few fantastic meals at hickory's chester but unfortunately today's experience wasn't the same. Although the restaurant it's self is looking fabulous after the refurbishment the service seems to have suffered. The food arrived and that was it . We were never approached after that we had to flag down a passing member of staff for a drink order. To get the bill we had to get up and ask for it . The fastest thing to happen was the payment to be be taken and the review app to close before we could finish filling it in . Will definitely be giving them more time to find their feet again before a revisit

Not the best experience we have had at hickorys chester due to the service. Once the food arrived we felt forgotten. The only reason we managed to get a drink refill was because we managed to flag down a passing member of staff. Had to get up and ask for the bill. Funnily enough the quickest service we had was to take payment. Will be leaving it a while before a revisit feels a bit like style over substance since refurbishment unfortunately

Excellent customer service. Lovely food. I’m gluten free and they are spot on regarding allergies. Seperate menu, even the staff at the bar flagged up I had an allergy before we were seated. A lot of other eateries could learn from Hickory’s re how to treat people with allergies. Excellent highly recommended

Best brisket we have ever tasted! All the food was delicious. The staff were super friendly especially Chris who went out of his way to make sure we had a great dinner. Thank you Chris

Even though I'm vegan, I enjoyed going there for the drinks & chilled atmosphere , excellent customer service. . Especial thanks to Will at the bar, who remembers how I like my order, and has a beautiful smile every time!🙂🤍 Much Love & Light 🙏⭐💫✨

What a wonderful find in a great location whilst away for the weekend from Kent. We had the beef rib & brisket. So delicious. We also tried the beams and onion rings. OMG, amazing. Really lovely service from Roxy, friendly, helpful & efficient. Thank you.

Very nice food and fair price. better with promotion on weekday. sit outside very nice.

Great food and service, even better after their refurbishment!

Really cool place for a date or hanging out with friends. Food was delicious and came out in good time. Wasn’t overly pricey for what you get and the service was really great.

Got recommended this place and turned out we got a slot on opening night of there new refurbishment. Booked for 6pm, table wasn't quite ready but got shown to the brilliant bar area which we enjoyed. Once at table our server Vladi was really pleasent, had a really good chat over menu and in general, explained everything clearly. Our kids loved the cinema room and food was amazing. After went back in bar, alot of sport being shown, kids loved the milkshakes. Good chat with Jason possibly management which was nice. All in all, all staff was friendly and a really positive experience for our first time there. Really happy the service charge at the end ( though optional ) goes to all the staff direct. 100% returning Many Thanks 😁

Staff could not have been more helpful - we had an amazing meal here.

When I was younger ''Thanksgiving' was Harvest Festival time? What's changed so you call it that now? Yankeefication of 🇬🇧

Best place to chill, Great food and customer service

Absolutely love it here! The food is always on point, there's plenty of sport on offer in the sports bar & Brendan the manager of that particular bar is an absolute legend! He's a great host, always easy to contact when you wish to reserve a table & the food is always good! I've eaten here more times than I care to remember over the years & will continue to do so. Nothing is ever too much trouble & it's always been a fantastic experience no matter the occasion. Whether for food or for just a passing drink I've always made a point of visiting. Looking forward to seeing the refurbished outside completed & will see you all again very soon. Keeping doing what you do Bren! 5*❤️

Absolutely brilliant, staff, Chris you went above and beyond for us, thankyou we will be back when you re-open

We are always excited about visiting Hickory’s in Chester, ever since the day it opened . Never disappoints and staff are so well trained and informed . Love it ! Special mention to the lovely Jasmine who turned my disappointing Christmas Eve into a lovely experience with her thoughtfulness and effort to go that extra mile to make me smile . You made my night sweet girl thank you xx

Gorgeous food, friendly staff and a quirky venue. We were tended to really well by James who was friendly and helpful with suggestions on where to go after we finished our meal.

1st time, but not the last for sure

last summer 2024 after a visit to chesterzoo, we were allowed to dine here. oh boy what a fantastic restaurant!! the ambiance, the service and... the food!! a michelin star may be an exaggeration, but it is still great.

Works night out in the sports bar. The food was great and all was enjoyed. The drinks where reasonable priced.

Lovely experience at Hickory’s. Xmas decorated, lovely staff, and really loved food, including seasonal crispy turkey fillet burgers and some amazing giant pretzels. Free small cinema in there.

Stunning food.... like fillet steak on the bone!

Found the food very bland and overpriced. We had a 1yr old with us and were seated at a table next to 2 wet and very smelly dogs. We asked to move and were told that they could bot accommodate high chairs on other rooms. We could not work out why as when we looked, there was plenty of space. Place in general was not very clean and toilets reeked of urine and were in dire need of a deep clean.