$$ Barbeque 1404 S Duff Ave Ames, IA 50010 4.0 star rating 5/12/2014 This was my first time visiting this restaurant. When you get out of the car you are met with a delicious aroma of hickory. If you weren't hungry, by the time you get to the door you will be. I started with an appetizer of onion rings for $5.95 and they give you enough rings for two or three people. They are cooked so we'll that there is very little grease on them and they were delicious. I ordered the BBQ dinner which included chicken, beef and pork. I replaced the chicken with additional beef. I had sides of coleslaw and beans, which were delicious. The only thing that I didn't like was the presentation of the meat. There must use a commercial cutter because the slices were all equal. This left me with the impression that the meat came from a Deli. However, this doesn't affect the taste or quantity of meat. read more

During my day adventures in Ames, IA on a recent Tuesday, a couple of friends of mine suggested that we enjoy lunch at Hickory Park Restaurant on the campus at Iowa State University. I didn't know previously that Iowans were famous for their barbecue, so I was very much interested in doing so. It was after an hour's walk around campus, where we had fun seeing the sights and my ISU alum friend giving me the short tour of it all. With that said, we ventured here to Hickory Park for lunch and it was a good experience. The restaurant is popular, as I have been told and extremely crazy during football season. The barbecue is famous around these parts and I couldn't agree more. However, I would probably vote Kansas City barbecue one better due to the portion sizes of the ribs themselves. While the rubs and spices were particularly interesting and tasty, you gotta hand it to the portion size to take the cake! Hickory Park restaurant is located on 1404 S Duff Avenue on the campus of Iowa State University. They accept credit cards, which is great as always. There is plenty of private parking here, but then again, it can get nuts during peak times and on football season, if you are not careful. Writing this review from a tourist perspective gives me an inside look at how these places operate - in terms of an hardcore Cyclone fan base than could not be stopped! With that said, Hickory Park accepts credit cards, which is always a favorite option of mine. The restaurant wasn't too busy when we came in around 12:30pm. There was parking, so that was a good sign. We were seated right away at a booth at the backside of the restaurant. The restaurant was clean and very much like a homespun road side diner type, which caters to anyone who's hungry for Iowa style barbecue. Prices here can be a little pricey, but it will range from $11-$15 per entree. I was pointed out that they had an eclectic dessert menu, with a lot of dessert options. I was like a kid in a candy store for real. I ultimately decided on the lamb ribs + chicken with baked beans and French fries. I had to pack away the ribs already in a takeout box, knowing that I would want to save room for dessert. And so, it was very cool to sit with my friends and trade stories and conversation about marathons and ultra distance races we all share this common love for. The service was good and friendly. The server was nice and happy that she was here. I also had a soda to wash it all down. And then came the dessert. We all partook in that, with me coming up with a double scoop chocolate ice cream served in a ice cream glass cup. The chocolate definitely hit the spot, especially with the 3 1/2 hour drive that I did to get here to Ames, IA from Kansas City, MO. The overall experience here was definitely good and a rare treat to have barbecue in Iowa. While Ames feels like its in the middle of Iowa, it would be best that you would come here for great homespun cooking, which includes barbecue. While the restaurant vibe can be a turnoff for some, it is a great place to take friends and family for lunch and dinner. I would recommend this place if you are hardcore on barbecue and near Ames, IA for the day. while ISU is nearby, it may be worth it to hang out on campus and swing on by for a meal or snack - which my friends and I did just that. Support local! B+ read more

The good: the food is delicious and cheap and comes to your table a minute after you order it. Honestly, I don't know how they operate with the prices they do. It's probably because of the huge volume of diners there every night that they are sustainable. Plus, hello smoke ring on my barbeque! The things that could use improvements: sometimes the meat can be a little dry, the waits can be long, and I've gotten ill a few times after eating there. Not food poisoning ill, just "my body can't handle this much meat" ill. If you're a regular barbeque or meat eater, you'll be fine. Try the hot barbeque sauce! read more

Loved this place as a kid! They had fountain drinks I could not wait to have! The Green River? Sorry....I cannot remember anything about the food....just that it was THE outing to go to! A big time special event. read more

Good food at a reasonable price. I ordered the barbecue plate. The turkey and pork were very good, but the brisket was too dry and the portion was too small. The spicy sauce made the meal, as well as the corn and baked beans. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Barbeque dinner with corn and beans. The brisket was a huge disappointment. Very dry and the portion was too small. - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

I was a little skeptical when we pulled in the parking lot, the place is huge! Someone met us inside and said to follow him to our table. After walking down walkways labeled with street signs and past rows and rows of booths we were seated. The service was great, friendly and quick. The food was much better than I expected for a place so big. The chicken was amazing, ribs can hold their own, I was slightly disappointed with the fries. Coleslaw didn't have a lot of flavor. I thought the large bottle of sauce in the table was ketchup until I saw there was a bottle of heinz there as well. I would come back next time I'm in town. read more

If you need to serve a steak knife with your ribs you probably shouldn't put ribs on your menu. Not sure why all the love for this place as it is well below average bbq. read more

Excellent BBQ, reasonable prices and outstanding dessert menu. A must do if you're around Ames Iowa. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Small baby back ribs platter, more than enough for a person. - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

A bit disappointing tonight. Food was not hot, some items not even warm. Service was good, restaurant not as clean as previous visits.

Hickory Park - always solid food quality. "Northern" BBQ if there is such a thing. Wildly popular. Great ice cream bar if you can leave room for it (or just go for that). Can get noisy. Have been eating there for years. Best burgers in town especially for the price. Also like the way they prepare cheese balls. read more

If you are looking for a good filling barbecue, this is the place to go! It's got everything from burgers to ribs to fancy ice cream desserts. The atmosphere is fun and the service is great! Everyone is so friendly and they do their best to serve meals quickly. Although, there can be some long waits, it is definitely worth the time in line to get a taste of this BBQ heaven! read more

This restaurant gets A LOT of praise from the locals and college students and I just simply do not see why. The food is okay. However, with the long wait times during peak hours, there are better options around Ames with better food and less busy. I will mention that their cheese balls with ranch is probably the best cheese ball dish I have had in a restaurant...so at least there's that. If you are looking for BBQ, I would recommend trying Battle's. read more

Very cold food. Slow waitstaff and manager offered to replace au jus to get it warm. 3 try it worked but I was no longer hungry. Appreciate the offer but it was just toooooo slowwwww. read more

Experienced the Dine In service tonight as we come out of quarantine. Cannot say enough about everyone doing their best to keep an orderly system, making sure everyone stays apart and feels safe as we all start to dine out again. I've never had a smoother experience trying to get into a restaurant. Everything was delicious, meat was held up to Hickory Park standards, of course. Delicious tenderloin and patty melt. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you, Hickory Park, for setting an example of how dine-in service ought to be during these scary times. read more

Good ice cream selection! The smoked meats are good, but not spectacular. Been there a few times, and it's always a safe place to take guests when they come to visit. read more

Always fun and delicious and I'm a vegetarian. Love the jalapeño veggie burger and onion rings. And ice cream for dessert! Now about the service: it's wonderful friendly and fast service by what appears to be servers who like each other like family. read more

This is always a must visit place when I'm in Ames. The food has been consistently great and the prices are great as well. I've never been disappointed in all of my time going here. It's huge and the service has always been great as well. read more

I have just tried their desserts which was delicious .

Everytime I come in to town from Chicago I make sure to stop here for some good smoke brisket & beer cheese soup. Best in town! The menu has a variety of options for all. The portions are large. The atmosphere is fun, casual & an all around great experience! Don't forget to get your salt water taffy on the way out! read more

I have been putting off this review forever. I was a server at this place in college and I miss HP. I make sure that I eat there anytime I visit friends in the Des Moines area, it's worth the drive to Ames. The prices are amazing and you get tons of food. The "goulash" on Mondays is not to be missed. I know that a lot of people are fans of the Saucy Southerner, but I just can't do it. There is pretty much always a wait to be seated, which is amazing, since the place is so huge. I think it's funny that people complain about the comfort of the booths, they were designed to help turn over tables. The owner doesn't want people getting too comfortable and squatting all day when there is a lobby full of people waiting to be seated. The last time I was there, we ordered a variety plate, and we noticed that they've added onion rings to it. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. :) The burgers are all really good, however I didn't like the new french fries. This also has to be the only place that has both Pepsi and Coke products, which is amazing! There is also a big selection of flavors to add to your drink (cherry, Green River, bubble gum, etc). I love getting a cherry phosphate, I've never seen them anywhere else. The ice cream menu is out of control! There is definitely something for everyone. read more

Another visit to Ames and another stop at Hickory Park. This time I went with the Big Beef Bones and smoked sausage. The Beef ribs were tasty, tender and flavorful. Three of them on the standard plate were nice size. I added the smoked sausage that I thought was so wonderful last time and they did not disappoint. I even sliced some off for some colleagues to try and they all agreed that this was good smoked sausage. Another diner had the smoked turkey on my recommendation and found it to be smoky, juicy and succulent. These are good things. To top the night off, several of us had helping from the ice cream dessert menu. The small size was just right to top off a filling meal, and the Ice Cream is very flavorful. I've never had Blue Bunny Ice cream before but I'll be sure to add it to the list of preferred brands. Thanks Hickory Park for another excellent meal. read more

Great prices for wonderful Bar-B-Q! The rolls are to die for - seriously! Everything was great. Be sure to save room for the ice cream sundae after your meal. This will be a for sure stop every time I'm in Ames! Yum! read more

The place for when people visit Ames that's always a go to. Not a major fan of BBQ, but the saucy southerner is my recommendation for those who aren't a fan of ribs. Make sure to save room for their ice cream, it's literally the best part! read more

First of all, know what to expect. You will be packed in like sardines, you will probably have to wait for a table. But they move people in and out of here very rapidly. Know what to order. The ribs: fantastic. Sliced pork, still pretty good, but not peerless. The saucy southerner: please no. This one stinks. Go here, get ribs, leave happy. Pretty good ice cream sundaes too. read more

3 1/2 star place so don't get me wrong. Have been to this place for about 3 times. Never really waited any of the time but I can surely understand some peoples pain. Took my friend yesterday again. She got a BBQ cheese burger and I got the dark 1/2 chicken dinner. Her portion was about right where mine was somewhat overwhelming alone with two sides. I am not a BBQ pro to tell you how legit the BBQ was but, that meal was satisfying. I tried their ribs before, actually didn't care for those too much, either bit too dry or too greasy. Never tried their desert since I am not an ice cream fan. Ordered a float, it exploded. (as usual) Fun for groups (good luck during rush hour though), very reasonable price, and unless you are allergic to starch, do NOT miss their MESH POTATO :d. read more

Best barbeque in Ames. Fast service, good quantities of food. Fun servers that don't mind serving blue-collar patrons! Save room for a dessert, you won't regret it! read more

Although it is a bit of a food factory in its current location, it still can't be beat. My desert of choice is the merry-go-round with mint ice cream, fudge and animal crackers. read more

With Ames being completely out of the way of most good bbq in Iowa, Hickory Park seems to fit the bill if you are not wanting to drive down to Des Moines. The restaurant is a mix of soda fountain kid's birthday part decor with a giant restaurant to seat all of Iowa. The place is huge, but seems busy at all times of the day (that people are not at work). The trick to HP is to eat there for lunch or get there before the 6pm rush. Also, be sure to shy away from there on game day. People travel miles just to go. I don't know why, but they seem to love it. I tend to order one of the sandwiches and the beans or corn. The portions for the Turkey and Pork are good, and so are the prices. If I am into something a bit bigger, their beef or pork ribs are a great deal and so is their dinner with a sampling of all the smoked meats. Decent bbq but no award winners....but cheap as hell, so I will keep going back when I am in the mood for meat. read more

Hickory Park is ok but it doesn't really excel at anything-the BBQ is ok, the ice cream is ok, the sides are ok. The restaurant is usually really loud and it's hard to hear conversation. There's nothing wrong with it in general and it's one of those places where most everyone can find something to eat but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. read more

This is a must go if you are stopping by Ames. The food is fast, tastes good, and best of all is cheep! They have huge dinning rooms that are great for groups and booths that are great for the family. The staff is always very helpful and friendly! I love the Club Sandwich which is almost two sandwiches in one! I only wish a bus would stop by closer than the Walmart stop. If you are on a college visit, this place is perfect for you and your family. read more

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This place came highly recommended to me. It was interesting. It is a huge place. I was sheparded to my table my the hostess and my energetic young waiter showed up promptly. I ordered a combination plate which was enough food for two. The sausage was good. Fennel was the main spice, but it didn't overwhem as it does in many Italian type sausages. The chicken are hickory smoked which gives them a strange pink color. The beef brisket is also hickory smoked. Not sure about the ribs. This is not the best barbeque that I've had but it was good. I don't drink beer too much any more but had to order one because the only wine offerings were chablis and burgundy. I know I'm from California, and I know I was in Iowa, but I have't been to a place that serves chablis and burgundy for years. Very old school, and not in a good way. Hickory Park is a decent place with decent food and good service. read more

When you are looking for some great BBQ, this is the place to go. Many different selections. It always seems to be a little crowded, but the wait never seems to be long. read more

I have mixed feelings about Hickory Park. It seems to be the place that everyone takes their parents because the portions are huge, the wait is short, and the prices are decent. Hickory Park is good comfort food, but nothing overly awesome. The most amazing thing about the place is the service; they have so much staff, they churn through people really fast. Overall, this place is good when you're missing home, but venture around Ames a bit to find other good places. read more

I love the decor and old country feel vibe of this place. Great theme / ambiance. HUGE Ice Cream / Dessert Menu! Sweet Potato Fries were good, for all you lovers out there. The service was lack luster and food took forever, yet was served room temperature. Meh. Two Stars for now...'till next time.... read more

This was my first time at Hickory Park since I'm not an Iowa native and didn't go to school at IA State. This place is huge and very effiecient on the seating/serving which is essential. They won't seat you until your whole party (or nearly everyone) is there which is understandable considering our party was for 14! They provided 2 servers for our table which was appreciated. We didn't get very quick drink refills but I'm sure if we had asked, they would've obliged. The menu is extensive and includes BBQ, burgers, salads, custom fountain drinks, etc. There is even a separate ice cream sundae menu! I got the speical which was a quarter chicken plus 4 back ribs with 2 sides for less than $10. My salad was just iceberg lettuce so nothing special there. The meat was very tender, hot, and flavorful as was my baked beans. I also enjoyed their own BBQ sauce. For dessert I had the Praline sundae which was worth the $3. I'm only giving this place a 3 star because I think Des Moines has similar BBQ restaurants that are equally as good. The ice cream menu does set Hickory Park apart but not enough for my 4 stars. :-) Great place for groups and children! read more

Amazing amount of food for such a reasonable price. We had the Beef ribs, hickory chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, mashed potatoes & gravy, buttered corn, chocolate mint sundae, coffee park sundae. Some things we like better than others, but the home cooked comfort food factor was key, and all was good. So many people, but they seem to have a very well-honed process for getting all those people seated & fed. Huge parking lot, but seemed to always be full. read more

Okay, maybe I didn't give Hickory Park a fair shake by ordering a burger at what seems to be a BBQ joint. I was confused by the menu because as other posters mentioned, Hickory Park doesn't SEEM to be an authentic BBQ restaurant, yet the servers pushed the BBQ dinners as their main players. There were so many other options that I figured the burgers must be decent. Eh. It was a burger. The cole slaw was nothing special. My husband got a dinner with chicken, turkey, pork and beef. I tried all the meats and was not overly impressed. Each one was dry and the BBQ sauce was not good enough to really bring out any great flavors. The ice cream/sundae menu is extensive and a definite reminder of Farrell's out in California. I was disappointed that they use Blue Bunny as opposed to a local or homemade ice cream, but again, it seems HP (am I allowed to nickname it?) tried to get it's proverbial fingers into everything. Got the Toffee Park and it was tasty enough. Definitely a kid friendly place, huge and loud with lots of families. Our car seat (a graco snugride 30) did not fit well in the booth and teetered precariously while elevated on my husbands thigh. Just a warning for those with infants. read more

It was a year ago Hickory Park, I gave you a chance to up your game. But there had been no improvement. The bbq was dry and lifeless, even at 11:00 a.m. The only thing on the combo platter that I enjoyed was the smoked sausage. I had asked for sweet potato fries instead of regular and was told that it would be an upcharge. I did see something about $1.50 extra in the menu. I was surprised to be charge $2.50 extra. Shouldn't have bothered. Not worth it. I ate so little of the meal, I had room for dessert. The black and white sundae was ok. I would go back for ice cream. I'm sure Hickory Park will continue to pack them in, but please, quit calling this good bbq. read more

Hickory Park is a STAPLE if you're in Ames or Central Iowa. I have never had a bad experience through all my years of dining with them. No matter if it's dining at the restaurant, getting carryout, or their latest curbside delivery (due to COVID-19) they kill it every time. They do an amazing job by hiring great waitstaff that always has a smile on their face and make the experience that much better. I think I have tried probably every item on their menu and it's always amazing! If you haven't been, you need to go. It's not something you will have anywhere else! read more

I love hickory park. The food is amazing and the prices are beyond fair. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu but the ribs are the best. They are usually busy but the waits are never too long. read more