Tried the Brisket, mac&cheese and onion rings this time. Onion rings were the star here....perfectly seasoned and fried! Brisket was good, but not as smoky/salty as I usually like. Texture of the point slice was good but the flat was a little dry. Mac&Cheese was underwhelming. I may have caught a batch that had sat for a minute. read more

Y'all ready for this? Some good ol' American barbecue at Hickory and Spice here in Orange! Normally, I'm not one to indulge in the great American tradition of bbq, but Josh assured me this was a hit! It's a cozy lil restaurant with some warm flair to really get you in the mood! We showed up to this place and ordered two large plates, a beef brisket plate and a pulled pork plate! They each come with two sides, so we went in with mac anc cheese, beans, tater tots, and coleslaw. This stuff is meant to be shared, so go in with your friends and dig in! The brisket was scrum-diddly-UMTIOUS, no cap! I love this stuff. Brisket is probably the hardest element of bbq to get right, but this place does it great! Great smoke ring with amazing bark. Don't let it cool down too much, though, you've gotta eat it all up soon! My winner was the pulled pork though. Smoky, saucy, succulent strands of swine swim sweetly to satisfy your salivation! Just a great overall fatty pork dish to really make you feel like it's real barbeque. The sides are no slump either, we've got rich, creamy mac, along with super crispy tater tots, and the fresh salad? Can you say 'licious? I can! It's 'licious! Okay, these beans lookin' mighty controversial, but I promise they taste so good. This is a must try. Whatchu bean doin'? Bean eatin' beans, that's for sure! Go get your barbecue fix at Hickory and Spice, and you won't regret it. Barbecue? I choose you! read more

Not sure why I never heard of this place before. Place was packed today when I arrived with my family just few minutes after it opened. Probably waited about 10 minutes in line to order, then took about half hour to get our food. This is definitely not the kind of place where you want to arrive hungry because you will be waiting for a while. Please note that this is not a full service restaurant. You place your order first, take a number, then take your seat. Menu is quite minimal for a BBQ place. Only has beef brisket, pork, and turkey. No chicken or any type of sausage. It has side items like tots and onion rings, which seems to be a very popular item here. Food was excellent. My wife and I generally don't like to eat BBQ, but we both loved everything we ordered. Beef Brisket Sandwich was our favorite, which came with some sauce, mango salsa, cabbage, and pickles & onions on the side. Beef was fall apart tender and was packed with flavor, even though it wasn't drenched in sauce. Pulled Pork Sandwich was just as good, although I thought the brisket had better flavor. Came with similar ingredients as the brisket sandwich, with the exception of mango salsa. Even the Corn Doggie & Tots (kids menu) was pretty good. It had nice crispy texture, and came with ketchup and honey mustard for dipping sauces. Only odd thing is I didn't smell any smoke, which is very odd for a BBQ place. read more

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Best bbq in OC. Excellent food, great service and TAAAAAASTY sides. Pork belly burnt ends were amazing

Do not hesitate to order large pork ribs!! The photos don't do the ribs Justice. I wasn't convinced with the photos available on Yelp but someone commented that the meat fell off the bone. I had to see for myself and behold. The cleanest of bones! Tender and filling. I added a bit more barbecue sauce though. You get 2 sides. I chose adult Mac and cheese, and tater tots. The Mac n cheese had good texture. Okay flavor by itself but should only serve as a compliment to the ribs. I poured some bbq sauce into it. Still way better mac than expected. Better than Lucille's, better than Phil's bbq mac. They apply their own seasoning to tater tots and onion rings. From what I tasted, it was a subtle bbq seasoning. Everyone checked up on us from time to time and the grill master came out to verify if all was to our liking. 10/10 ribs read more

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Overrated! Service extremely slow! Came on a Sunday at 2pm and everything was "sold out" ended u getting a brisket sandwich and some pork ribs because that's all they had left on a Sunday at 2pm... waited for almost 20mins to get my food. RIDICULOUS! read more

For some excellent BBQ, you must come to Hickory and Spice. Come early before they sell out. I had the brisket plate with adult Mac and cheese. I also had a rack of ribs . I washed it down with a bottle of water. The brisket was tender and juicy. It was perfectly cooked. It passed the bend test. The pork ribs were amazing. I got a clean bite with no tug. With both meats, I tasted the meat first and the sauce on the back end. Some places will drown the meat with sauce, but not here. You're paying to enjoy the meat, not a lot of sauce. The Mac and cheese was creamy and so delicious. I could eat a whole pan of it. Best I've had in a long time. I can see how the pitmaster has won so many awards. Some are displayed in the restaurant.. He takes pride in what he serves. He visits with the dine in patrons to see how they like his food. This is some BBQ that you won't mind driving out of your way to eat. There's plenty of seating in the dining room and bar. I saw a couple of TVs with the Angels game playing. read more

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Everyone always goes for the brisket but for me the pulled pork is where it's at! I got the large plate and probably could have ate even more it was so good. Tender and juicy with the perfect amount of sauce. I chose Mac and cheese and tots as my sides. Both were delicious as well. Crispy tots-you can never go wrong there. Rich Mac n cheese...I definitely ate until I couldn't. The pit master even came out to our table to say hi! Come check it out! It's in the Target Lot off Meats. Officially a hidden gem in my book! read more

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Months ago my coworker told me to come here for the best onion rings ever. He continually asks me if we have gone yet and I always say no. So I decided we needed to go so I could finally tell him yes! We arrived right when they opened. Order and pay at the counter, seat yourself. We snagged a comfy booth and enjoyed the darkness of the restaurant with the blues playing. Right off the bat I noticed it didn't smell like BBQ or smoke at all in here. Hmmm... Two plate combos, a side of onion rings, one beer and an iced tea was $72 before tip. Damn! Expensive lunch for us! Onion rings were excellent, yes, some of the best ever. Not sure what their "fairy dust" seasoning is, but it is really tasty. They were HOT out of the fryer and it took awhile for them to cool down. Portion was large, we took about 1/2 home. Husband had pulled pork with tots, both were good. Pork portion was decent, he had enough to take some home. I had the brisket with mac and cheese. I was served 3 thick-ish slices of brisket. It wasn't very warm and they were too dry. We both suspected they were from the previous day. My mac was super tasty, but again, not hot. Barely warm. He wants to go back and try them again. Their protein choices are very limited (pulled pork, turkey, spare ribs, or brisket) but on Sundays they do beef ribs. Next time we will come later, almost wondering if they aren't serving up the freshest stuff as soon as they open? We hate waiting, which is why we went early. But if fresher food means possibly waiting, we will do that. Pitmaster Rick came out and greeted us when we sat down, then came back again to see if we liked the food. Friendly guy. Had the food seemed fresher and the prices not been so high, I would have given this place a 4. But my mind was not blown and I left thinking the meats my husband smokes at home are much tastier. read more

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I ordered the brisket. It was excellent. My sides were also top notch. The tatter tots and creamed corn were Awesome. I couldn't eat all the food so I brought tit home. Attendants were very attentive. Come early. On a Friday, the restaurant was packed 20 minutes after opening Worth the wait if you come any later read more

Hickory & Spice - Brisket, creamed corn & tater tots - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

REAL BBQ LOVERS: This place IS the REAL DEAL! Brisket: amazing! Smoked Turkey: amazing! Pulled Pork amazing! Spare ribs: awesome! Both BBQ sauces are tasty and spicy! Owner is a KCBS BBQ Competition Champion for 8 years! Now sharing his wonderful Q with Orange County!! Enjoy!!! read more

I tried their pork ribs and they were delicious! The meat was tender and tasted so good. I had only wished I would have ordered the bigger plate because the 3 ribs left me wanting more. read more

The place is very clean and plenty of parking. The food needed more flavor, the Mac and cheese looked like Penne Pasta with zero flavor, corn was very watery. Also if you want Beef Ribs, it's served every other Sunday, so basically call. I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

Hickory & Spice - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

The food was delicious the customer service top knotch. The best part was having the owner himself come to our table and making us feel at home. We drove all the way from Hemet to come have dinner there. It definitely was worth the drive. We will be back for the Dino rib next time. read more

Wow!!! Stefano was playing many hats today. He was cashier, server, bartender cleaning tables. What can't this guy do. Aside from the amazing customer service we received by stefano, the food was great. We've never tried this place out but glad we did. Thank you Stefano for taking care of me and my family. We'll definitely be back!! read more

Delicious food, great service. This place is a gem and worth going and checking it out!

I don't think it's worth the wait, but I do think the food was really good! It's not a full service restaurant - you order at the counter, get a number and wait at a table. We came on a Sunday around 1pm, and there was a line out the door. We weren't planning on ordering the beef rib or onion rings but ordered it out of fomo since the other people in line were raving about it. We waited for maybe 30 min before we ordered, but after we ordered, we waited another 40 minutes for the food to be served. Felt brutal, we were starving! Beef rib and pork ribs were really good- the meat truly falls off the bone. 10/10 Brisket was also really good and tender, but overall I thought it was just as good as other BBQ places. 8.5 out of 10 Onion rings 10/10. I wouldn't order this again because I only wanted to try one but it's super crispy and tasted super fresh. It's a customer favorite. Sweet potato 6/10. It is good but too sweet for my liking. Includes walnuts, not sure how I personally feel about the different textures going on. Mac salad and creamed corn 6/10 also good but I wouldn't order it again. read more

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So so so very good. Glad I finally went in and tried this place. Won't go anywhere else for bbq now. The ribs and brisket, to die for. 5 stars all the way around!! read more

4th of July fun! We wanted to get some legit bbq and keep everything low stress. I stumbled on this place and they keep their instagram updated so I knew they were open. Parking was easy and vast in this shopping center. You order first then sit. The vibe is very family-friendly and chill. We found seating quickly and had space for our stroller. I ordered some food then ordered again a second time as I realized how good it was. The brisket just falls apart and I'm lucky I got a bite of the pulled pork as my kids just dug into it. I kid you not between ordering the first round of food and the second, the pulled pork sold out! Service was great. The owner stopped by and chatted with us as well as the host. I would definitely return. My only suggestion would be for the phone line. When I called before arrival, I got a recording and didn't get a human. Now that I know that they can sell out of food, I would like it to be a little easier to get a human or for them to update the recording. If the recording said something at the end like, "And for today 7/4/24 as of xyz time we are out of xyz foods" it would be helpful. read more

Hickory & Spice - 1/2 lb Pulled pork, 1/2 lb brisket, and tater tots. Scissors were brought from home to cut meat for the kids. - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Sooooo good! The mac & cheese and the pork ribs are so amazing! The meat falls off the bone!

Wow, this BBQ is top-notch! My wife and I tried this for the first time, and we were not disappointed! I had a double order of the brisket, and was very happy with the flavor and doneness. I could tell the pit master knew what he was doing in making that brisket! My wife had the turkey breast, and was fearful it would be to dry, but she too enjoyed her meal. The sides were terrific; overall experience was such that we would drive here anytime for BBQ, and we're not exactly local. Service was excellent as well. I asked the cashier how tender the brisket was. He didn't answer, but turned to the kitchen and returned with a sample of both the point and the flat (I prefer the point for its fat content). I ended up getting a double order of the brisket, and both were excellent! I would have no problem returning to this joint. We arrived early, and chose to take out, but the dining room was very clean and we would have no problem eating here again in the future! read more

Absolutely mouth watering delicious bbq! Definitely need to come here more often! Brisket was tender. Love the ranch beans. read more

My second review in a week of Hickory and Spice. This time my wife and I went for lunch as I was really in the mood for a pulled pork sandwich. When we arrived we were greeted promptly and informed of the special for the day, brisket or rib meat tacos. I must admit I was very tempted, but stuck to my plan. My wife and I each ordered a pulled pork sandwich with everything on it, some onion rings (a MUST here) and the street corn from the special menu. To say this was an excellent pulled pork sandwich would be a gross understatement. It's the best I've had anywhere. Period. The pork is tender and full of smoke and bbq flavor. The slaw (on the sandwich of course!) is crisp and just right, not too wet or creamy. Put the pickles and pickled onions that come on the side on the sandwich. I guarantee you will be smiling after the first mouthful. The other pleasant surprise was the street corn, which is actually their creamed corn, but with Cojita cheese on top. Now I wasn't sure what to expect from "creamed" corn as that can go a lot of directions. But this was amazing. The cream isn't heavy or creamy, it's very light and a bit buttery and the cheese on top was perfect. It was like eating Mexican street corn on the cob only from a dish. Absolutely delicious. I reviewed the onion rings last time, but again, these are to die for. The sauce that it comes with is killer and complement the very crispy batter and onion. I'm addicted. Officially. I would give this place 6 stars on a scale of 1 to 5. Hope you enjoy! read more

The food here is amazing, specifically the beef ribs and pastrami! Those are both specialties that frequently come and go, but are hands down the best. On the normal menu, the smoked turkey and ribs are my favorite. The baked Beans are my favorite side along with the sweet potatoes! Good comfort food all around. The owner and pitmaster comes out to check on you frequently, he and the team are really kind! read more

I'm bready to eat this sandwich! Pulled pork sandwich $14- good! Wish there was a bit more slaw in it but everything in it was good. Pulled pork had a good flavor and nothing over-powered the other Mac and cheese- tasted good, had a grainy texture and mac was soggy Tv and a bar available inside Pricey spot but may come back for the sandwiches read more

Hickory & Spice - Pulled pork sandwich $14- pretty good - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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Oh. my. God. DELISH!!! Got the beef ribs, be warned, they're HUGE. And juicy. And tender. And overwhelmingly delicious. Also got the brisket, another 10/10. The pit master is magic ! Wowza, best BBQ I've had in a very long time. That creamed corn is also life changing. SO GOOD !! read more

Hickory & Spice - Brisket with Creamed Corn and Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

My wife and I have been back a handful of times now and the food is ALWAYS excellent! From the pulled pork to the tri tip to the brisket... and the sides are PHENOMENAL! Mac and cheese, seasoned tater tot's, all great! We tried cornbread and AMAZING. We saw the beef ribs and WOW, talk about a serving! We're local, so of course we'll be back. read more

ok this place was bombbbbb. i saw when they opened up and just didn't feel compelled to try it out until i saw someone else post a picture of the food. we got the large brisket plate with tots and creamed corn and an order of the onion rings. i thought the brisket was divine. it was lean but soft and full of flavor. the large portion was more than enough food for two grown ups and i took a box home. the corn was peppery and creamy and i could see why the cashier recommended it. the tots were crispy but they're the exact same flavor profile as the onion rings. they use "fairy dust" which is like a cajun salt + sugar. we loved the onion rings; the dust really worked with the breading and the texture of the onions. so the tots were a little overkill being the same flavor and my friend said he wished he had ordered them plain. i would say get one or the other but no real need for both. i'd be interested in trying the ranch beans next. staff was super nice. the cashier checked on us a few times and the chef? came out once too to ask how we liked the food. seating was plentiful and there is a small bar area in the back. the layout is a little strange on the left side of the restaurant, which i think is more for catering or big parties? there was two big tables there and some merchandise. their menu is limited but everything tasted good and i'm looking forward to trying other things! read more

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Very good experience!!! You walk in and the menu is above the register. You order and pay first then grab a seat. We ordered the turkey sandwich, regular brisket platter with creamed corn and the side of onion rings. Everything we are was excellent!!! The turkey sandwich was a great mixture of southern and Thanksgiving. The regular brisket platter was three slices and one side, which was enough for lunch. The creamed corn had some heat and was tasty.... but those onion rings.... TO DIE FOR. Husband said, the best EVER. read more

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Delicious smoked meats ... friendly staff, very clean dining room and it has a a very rugged vibe. read more

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Definitely worth of the best barbecue spots in Orange County. I enjoyed their meats and the sides are good as well. I just put them on third but not by much. On a personal note due to the sides, not bad, just a personal preference. read more

Some of the BBQ around. Great wait staff. The food is absolutely delicious. Great beer as well

This place reminds me of bbq joints in the south where I am from. Cozy and calm atmosphere! The food was good too. I really enjoyed the ranch beans. Service was good as well as the owner and waiter checked on us several times. My only complaint isn't really important but I do wish they had fresh tea/fountain drinks to really make it feel like a bbq spot where I'm from and bbq sauce on the table for free pour but that's neither here nor there. read more

Restaurant in the Target center area off Tustin avenue. You order at the counter and there is inside eating or many take out. Our service was slow as some people at the table got food well before others. The brisket was the best I ever had. The sweet potato is decadent and the cream corn excellent. If you like large onion rings, they are great. I had to get more sauce as they only had sauce in small cups. I went and got more as it wasn't enough for me. Warning- go earlier as they do run out if some items. We heard that as we were leaving at 7 and others have said this often happens. Definitely worth a try if you like barbecue. read more

Best BBQ in Orange County! 12/10 Every item on the menu is INCREDIBLE! I gladly drive from Coto to this spot because no other spot comes close read more

Hickory & Spice - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

This is the second time I have eaten at Hickory & Spice. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant! You're greeted with a wan hello even as you're coming through the door! The holiday decorations are to die for. The food was served promptly by a friendly waiter. My pork ribs had a fantastic smoke ring and the flavor was delicious! The cream corn is in reality an elote street corn in a cream sauce with all the right fixings. Let's not forget the 'adult' Mac n cheese - over-the-top flavor! Who knew sun dried tomatoes were the bomb in M&C?? I highly recommend H&S. Great food and they test you right! read more

Hickory & Spice - Here is a small sample of the holiday decorations in front of their smoking wood! - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

There's a new bbq king in OC and it's Hickory + Spice! Heritage BBQ has nothing on this place I hate to say. Hickory + Spice seems like it's run by a multi-time bbq champ so that might help account for it, but do not sleep on this gem. Brisket - 5/5 - better than many spots I've had in Austin. Pork ribs 5/5 - Amazing, best I've ever had. Smoked Turkey - 3.5/5 - Good especially for sandwiches, very juicy but nothing crazy flavor wise for me. Mac N Cheese - 3/5. It's alright...kind of runny and mild when I was hoping it'd be richer and creamier. Still good though. read more

What a fantastic meal! We ordered pork ribs, pulled pork, and brisket (half lean, half moist) along with onion rings, adult mac and cheese, slaw, and sweet potato casserole. We're chowing down and the owner, Rick Mysse, comes out to chat. I'm a competition BBQ judge and knew Rick was a very successful competition BBQ cook, so I mentioned how we came to find his restaurant. A few minutes later, he comes back with a giant beef rib (on the house!). It was amazingly tender and flavorful. The pork ribs were exceptionally tender with a nice balance of tang and sweet on the sauce. Pork was moist and flavorful. The brisket (lean and moist) were both excellent as well. Eat it without sauce, and be sure to try the pickles and onions with it. The meats have just the right amount of smoke as well. As for the sides, the onion rings are crisp and flavorful. I personally like my slaw a bit sweeter than Rick's, but it provides a nice counterbalance to the pork and brisket. The adult mac and cheese has gouda, jack, and cheddar cheeses. It would be even better with a bit of browning on the top, but again, just personal preference. The sweet potato casserole could easily be dessert. Rick took me back to the kitchen and was as generous with his time as he was with his BBQ. On the way out, he gave me a bottle of the rub used on the beef rib. Service from the staff was also friendly, quick, and efficient. You won't be disappointed if you go here. PS. To the reviewers complaining about cost - Prices are right in line with the best BBQ joints around the country, even more so considering it's Orange County, CA. read more

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Great food. Helpful service. Was blown away that this little shop in a random strip mall had great sandwhiches and amazing onion rings. Will definitely come back. read more

This place is really good! We were in the area and were looking for a great place to eat and we found it. They were really friendly and helpful when ordering. The food was BOMB. We tried the brisket, pulled pork and turkey and they were awesome. Quick note - get the tots, you won't be disappointed. read more