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Hickory River Smokehouse Restaurant Reviews, Peoria

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Hickory River Smokehouse

5101 W. Holiday Dr., Peoria, IL 61615
309-683-1227
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The dining room
6 visitor photos
Ranked #22 of 208 restaurants in Peoria
4.5 of 5 stars 145 Reviews
Price range: RM15 - RM45
Cuisines: Barbecue
Good for: Child-friendly, Groups, Business, Local cuisine, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients, Cheap Eats
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch Spot, Dinner, Takeout, Delivery, Dessert
Restaurant details
Good for: Child-friendly, Groups, Business, Local cuisine, Special Occasion Dining, Entertaining clients, Cheap Eats
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch Spot, Dinner, Takeout, Delivery, Dessert
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145 reviews from our community

82% Recommend
    106
    14
    11
    9
    5
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Hometown, Illinois, United States
1 review
“Stay away! It's addicting! :)”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 April 2013

My boyfriend and I consider ourselves BBQ snobs. We've eaten all kinds of BBQ all over the country. I'm sure we bleed BBQ sauce at this point. Anyway, we were new to the area in fall of 2011 and were on a mission to find some good eats. Thanks to ME, we decided to stop by Hickory River one day.... More

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Chicago, Illinois
1 review
“Better than expected”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 April 2013

As good as you will find and better than most in the midwest. These meats are dry rubbed and sauced with your choice of sauces (3 to choose from I think). Truely enjoyed my experience. Not the most fancy place but hey it's BBQ. TV's tuned to sports. Staff was very friendly. First piece of corn bread I got was... More

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Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 restaurant reviews
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Dried out barbeque”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 March 2013

Took my wife here for lunch. We didn't realize until we walked in that it was one of those places that you had to walk up to the counter to order. Considered leaving but decided to stay. Big mistake. The pulled pork was totally dried out and wasn't shredded enough, containing large chunks of dried pork. My wife took one... More

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See 3 more reviews by italyguy1 for Peoria
Joliet, Illinois
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
6 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
“disappointed big time”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 March 2013

With the high ratings from Trip Advisor, this family of barbeque lovers was really looking forward to trying this place. The brisket and pork were so dried out and not at all tender. We enjoyed our sidesj--cole slaw, potato salad,mac and cheese so much more than the main attraction. Then, the rib dinner that we ordered as a carry out... More

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See 3 more reviews by Barbara O for Peoria
mjohnstone1, Owner at Hickory River Smokehouse, responded to this review
26 March 2013

I am very sorry you were not 100% happy with your dining experience. As I have said in many other responses to reviews when customers were not happy, let us know if there's a problem, we'll fix it or give you your money back!!! It seems a bit unfair that while dining in you would not have at least have... More

1 review
“This is a great place, when in the mood for B-B-Q!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 March 2013 via mobile

I've been there many times, and have never been dissatisfied. The food is good, and the people are very nice, and friendly. The service is fast, and it is a clean place to eat! I also appreciate the hot water in the rest room, to wash my hands, as well as the helps hand. We also like the ability to... More

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Bloomington, Illinois
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
36 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 25 cities Reviews in 25 cities
30 helpful votes 30 helpful votes
“Texas (or Kansas City) in Central Illinois”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 February 2013

I've been to barbeque places in Texas, including Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse and many others. The same is true of other states, including Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City. I really appreciate the effort that went into making Hickory River Smokehouse reminiscent of those other famous barbecues. If you've never been to a famous barbecue like Sonny Bryan's or Arthur Bryant's, Hickory... More

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mjohnstone1, Owner at Hickory River Smokehouse, responded to this review
12 February 2013

Thanks for the AWESOME review! It is beyond a compliment when I feel like someone truly understands what we are trying to do as a business. We are very different than many other restaurants but it is nice to know there are people out there who really "get it!" We truly appreciate your business and feedback and look forward to... More

Dahinda, Illinois
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
10 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Disappointed”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 January 2013

We were looking forward to some great ribs, but were very disappointed. Mine were dried out and tough. Dried out meat is very hard for me to swallow. Will never go back to this place.

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See 8 more reviews by E M for Peoria
mjohnstone1, Owner at Hickory River Smokehouse, responded to this review
10 February 2013

I am very sorry you were not pleased with your meal. I wish you would have taken the time to let someone know at the restaurant as we make every attempt to insure our customers are happy with their entire dining experience. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to make this situation right. I will be the... More

Iowa
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
5 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Great Lunch!”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 December 2012

Stopped by this place on a trip at the recommendation of TripAdvisor. Had a great lunch! Three of us stopped. Great food! One person commented that the corn bread was incredibly dry, but I did not have that, otherwise no complaints from who I was with. Mac and Cheese was fantastic, just wished the sides were a little larger! Only... More

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mjohnstone1, Owner at Hickory River Smokehouse, responded to this review
10 February 2013

Thanks for your review. We always appreciate feedback in whatever form it may come but, we really like it when it's positive. Thank you for taking time out of your day to let the world know how you felt about your experience with us! Let your dining companion know I said sorry about the corn bread. We are actually companywide,... More

Iowa City, Iowa
Top Contributor
78 reviews 78 reviews
35 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 30 cities Reviews in 30 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
“For fans of BBQ where you add the sauce after the meat is smoked”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 November 2012

This restaurant is cafeteria style dining. This restaurant prides itself on customer satisfaction. I am pleased to report this as too many establishments do not consider this essential to their business. During our dining experience my mother ordered a pulled pork sandwich and reported that the flavoring was off and she did not care for it to our waitress. She... More

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See 6 more reviews by Francisco0126 for Peoria
Mackinaw, Illinois
Top Contributor
52 reviews 52 reviews
29 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Fast food BBQ”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 November 2012

Not a big fan of this place. It's kind of a cafeteria style, picnic tables. Food is good just not a big fan of fast food.

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See 16 more reviews by drmoore for Peoria
mjohnstone1, Owner at Hickory River Smokehouse, responded to this review
10 February 2013

I will have to agree to disagree. We like to pride ourselves on the fact we are great food fast, not fast food. The closest thing you will find to fast food here or our French fries, drive thru window and our pricing but, hey we are a quick service, BBQ restaurant! All of our meats are slow cooked in... More

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Hickory River Smokehouse
5101 W. Holiday Dr.
Peoria, IL 61615
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