You get plenty of food which is the best thing I can say for the place. I got the brisket platter. The brisket was dry and I didn't care for their bq sauce. It says it's Texas style bq. Maybe I'm spoiled by joes in Kansas City or pappys in St. Louis. Sugarfire and bandannas are better than this spot. Sorry won't return. read more

there cuts of meat are good and cooked right,,,, i just like a bit more flavor in the rub ,,,not that theirs is bad,,,i guess some people are old and cant take a little bit of spice like I like and there sauce is just ok once again not bad but its just not over the top like I like it If someone wanted bbq and wanted to go there I wouldn't object read more

Thought it'd be worth a try based on good reviews. Staff was certainly nice enough. Burnt ends were like rubber with little smoke flavor and the cornbread was a bit like a brick. To top it off my takeout order had no utensils. Won't be a returning customer. read more

This place had some real good BBQ. You get tour money's worth with low prices and generous portions. I went with a group of 4, and everyone had to take some of it home. The mac and cheese was DELICIOUS! I highly recommend that as a side. The corn bread was very sweet, almost like dessert itself. The staff was very welcoming, very down to earth. read more

Ribs and Brisket are good. I'd come back for that. Coleslaw is not your traditional coleslaw and very bland. Their "Texas" chili, bland too. Next time I'll try different sides. Good prices. read more

This was very good! My husband had ribs and I had pulled pork and fried okra. The ribs were falloff the bone good. The pulled pork was actually shredded meat with BBQ added (not too much). My son and I actually split the meal and didn't finish. They only serve beer and wine for alcohol. The iced tea is excellent. I will eat here again. read more

The pulled pork plate and sides were wonderful. The Bud Light bottles are $1 each, great deal. Wonderful little quaint place to eat.

Best food ever. Love this place!! Highly recommend we are doing everything we can to keep our guests safe and look forward to serving our community a great and reasonable meal. We appreciate all the support read more

On a local's recommendation we wrapped up the work week here. We thought it would be busy at 630 on a Friday but it was almost empty. Food is served cafeteria style and instantly available with no line. We got BBQ ribs and a half BBQ chicken plate with corn bread (which crumbled and had to be eaten with spoon ). My side of chili had real meat chunks. The mac and cheese was very cheesy but in a velveeta kind of way. Everything was tasty and plentiful due to being very hungry. I do like my chicken much more tender. It also had not been cooked recently. Domestic beers were a dollar. read more

This is the second best BBQ place in town. The have very large meat portions and there bbq sauce is very good. The have on the tap root beer and authentic southern style sweet tea. All in all Hickory River is a good and reasonably price BBQ place. read more

I am not sure I've had a BBQ dinner as completely delicious as this. Pulled pork plate with perfectly spicy sauce, corn fresh off the cob, and surprisingly tasty mashed potatoes and gravy. Plus of course, a thick hunk of corn bread - moist, warm and just plain good. Everything tasted fresh and hot - not microwaved - like it was right off the stove. A rare treat for 11 bucks! This is a casual place, and also is clean and friendly. A nice find for a west-coaster driving from St Louis to BloNo. read more

The food is disgusting, and not in the traditional sense. If you get their baked beans there are these odd fibers that seem to have infected the sauce and I noticed the same with a couple of other side dishes. BBQ places really are about the meat, though, and I was underwhelmed. It certainly wasn't good enough for me to want to go back. read more

I'm a local wedding & event planner and I worked with the Hickory River team this past fall as they catered a wedding I had in Lincoln on private property and I had to share what a STELLAR job Tiffany and the crew did. I had told my clients about Hickory River Catering because I adore the food and they wanted good food, not a lot of fuss, and a good price point. They tried the food in the restaraunt after I met with them (they had never been to one before) and they fell in love, as I knew they would. From the first second I started working with Tiffany - she was awesome. Quick response, super helpful, willing to work with us to customize things and just superb. My company does about 75 events a year with all different venues, caterers and vendors and she could rival the customer service of anywhere. On the day of - Tiffany and the entire team (I didn't catch all of their names but two other girls and two guys) - every one of them was helpful and went above and beyond in helping. They even lit candles for me while I was tied up at the ceremony! They had great customer service and I heard at least a dozen guests compliment them on their above and beyond attitude. Nevermind the fact that the food was great and more than their fair share went up for seconds! I know it's easy to get complaints from people and hear what went wrong - I wanted to send a note of everything that went right. I would recommend your team to anyone and look forward to hopefully having the opportunity to work together again! Kudos on a great team you've put together and I hope your catering business continues to bloom! read more

Food was average at best. Not many options for sauces, and pretty expensive for bland pulled pork. The sides weren't much to speak of either. Even the tea was bitter. read more

When u walk through the door, the smell of excellence hits you... res Texas style barbecue. Great flavorful sauces, tasty sides, friendly service. The slices brisket just melted in your mouth. We will definitely come back here again!!! read more

Really good BBQ in a nice atmosphere. You order cafeteria-style and there are plenty of seating options. They just opened a 2nd location on the west side of Springfield on Iles. read more

Not so good. First, it's one of those places where you order and get your food in a cafeteria style. Then take it to your table. Second, the food is mostly warmed food, pre-made, cafeteria style. It was salty and bland other than the strong bbq sauce poured over the food. My pulled pork was tough and stale. The turkey was actually amazingly tender but had no smokiness of flavor. It was just bland. My wife's baked potato was pulled out of a warmer and stabbed on a plate. My overall impression was this particular franchise was just phoning it in. No real care for their product. Good menu--poor execution. read more

Possibly the best smoked wings I've ever had and you should definitely try this place out. I only tried their smoked wings so I wouldn't be too sure on other foods, but smoked wings are solid 10/10. Also be sure to try the mango habanero sauce! read more

I had the three meat combo, pulled pork, brisket and smoked polish sausage. Meats were good as were sides. Best I could say is that on an average day I don't smoke them much better. Sauce was good just not quite memorable enough to buy. read more

Went through drive thru and bought the full slab of ribs and a pulled pork dinner. The ribs were so dry, my husband couldn't get them off the bone with a fork and knife. The pulled pork, which was advertised as a State Fair winner, was extremely dry and full of gristle. The potato salad and macaroni and cheese sides were good. The slaw was not good. All-in-all, the $36 drive thru meal was a loser. Will not be going there again. read more

If you like BBQ this is the place in Springfield!!! The brisket and pulled pork are on point...pulled pork nachos yummy!! Mmm Cornbread!!! The place is clean and staff is Always friendly!! Don't forget about $1 Tuesday's and kid friendly!!! Enjoy read more

This is quite possibly the worst place I've EVER visited. A quick jaunt off the highway enroute back home to Chicago to celebrate Father's Day with my hubby, turned into a nightmare from the undercooked chicken wings to the rude cashier who refused to refund me for the undercooked food. The only saving grace was another staff member who apologized profusely for her witch of a colleague. Thanks so much for ruining what could have been a lovely experience. Never will I return and I will encourage others never to go!!! read more

I came in during the early afternoon, and as soon as I walked in, the people at the front asked about my order... They were very kind! After ordering, the server brought my food out, and checked on me several times. They also have paper menus on each table, so we can easily add to our order (which I did :-). I was alone, but had to deal with a situation at the time (via my smartphone)... I felt bad about being at the table for so long, even after I finished my food - but the server was fine with it. When I apologized for that, shortly before leaving, she told me I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted - until closing! :-) I handed her an extra tip, on the way out. read more

Staff was very friendly and helpful. My co-worker got the bbq pork and liked it. I got the beef brisket and thought it was a little dry, so it probably could have used some more sauce. Still I'd like to try the rest of the menu if I get another chance. Also they do serve bottled beers & wine. read more

I stopped here for lunch for first time. They had a lunch special of pulled pork sand, two sides & drink for only $8. Really good deal. The pork was really good & very tender. I chose beans & Mac n cheese for sides. Beans were good. Mac n cheese was very generic. Not recommend them. I would definitely come back. read more

No smoke rings in any of the meats. More smoke coming out of the Burger King across the street than here. Just all around bland meat where all you taste is the sauce. Left wishing we had chosen better. Yelps 4 star rating let us down. read more

We ordered the pork plate and it is the best most tender pulled pork that I recall eating. The cornbread biscuit melted in our moths. The staff was friendly, patient and very helpful and the bathrooms were pristine. read more

The food is fantastic and the staff is always friendly. But not the forced friendly, they seem like genuinely good people that enjoy their job. Plus, dollar Tuesday's!?!? Hell yeah! read more

Good bbq. Would give it a 5 but the desert apple cup was not good. Eat there often when in the springfield area.

The only reason I am giving this place 2 stars is the behavior of the manager towards his employees. It was 7 pm on a Tuesday evening, only slightly busy. John, the manager was yelling at his employees for not moving fast enough. This felt embarrassing and awkward as the customer, watching him yell at a bunch of teenagers like that. The tension was palpable. No one should be treated like that, especially in front of the customers. Despite the manager'a behavior, the kids working there managed to smile at the customers and be helpful. The pulled pork was good, but lacked any smoke flavor. read more

Excellent food. We went fit lunch and they were very fast and friendly. No complaints whatsoever. Highly recommended

Not bad for $1 Tuesdays. Some favorites on the menu are the smokey chicken wings and the baby back ribs. Even the domestic beers are a buck! read more

Good food, friendly service, and a relaxed atmosphere. The prices are reasonable and the quality is high. I haven't had better meat anywhere in Springfield. read more

I rediscovered Hickory River Smokehouse recently, and their smoked ham sandwiches melt in your mouth, they're so tender. Good selection of side items and deserts. I rated a three due to my not being allowed to get a pulled pork mini for a $1 like the electronic sign advertised next to Dirksen Pkwy. The gal taking my order had absolutely no clue, and had to ask the dude in the kitchen who carved the meat for your order. His response, the $1 mini pulled pork are only available on Tuesday nights, which the electronic sign did not specify, which I mentioned to him, to no avail. Talk about false advertising. Not sure if I'll be back or not. They used to have a second location on the west side of Springfield, which had slightly better tasting food, but closed after a couple of years. Not sure why this happened. That retail spot was a record store originally, then a Lions ham sandwich place, then HRS, now a McAlister's. Hopefully they will last more than two years like previous tenants did. Revisited again 10-15-16. After only 20 seconds of entering the restaurant, and looking at the menu on the wall that separates the dining area, I was badgered into making a decision by some 20 something guy, who went into the kitchen area to make my sandwich. Another 20 something guy asked what side item I wanted without really giving me time enough to decide. Then immediately insisted in cashing me out before I had a chance to decide on a dessert or not. I got my key tag out to register the purchase on their rewards program, known as "belly". The kid who rang me out seemed somewhat annoyed by my registering the purchase, and seemed annoyed by my asking for a to-go cup for my soda. Not the greatest experience, however the food was quite good. Not sure why today's employees were so damn annoying. Completely unnecessary. read more

Best smoke meats in Springfield. Their bbq sauces could use some work in my opinion. I still get the mixed spicy/sweet but it could be much better. You won't find better brisket for hundreds of miles and ribs are great too. I found the meats to be very flavorful and most importantly juicy and not dry. Reading previous reviews as I am prone to do before writing mine I saw someone mentioned a lack of smoke rings well it is definitely smoked and that pink ring usually means the meat was frozen prior to being smoked bring the meat to room temperature before smoking like your supposed to and no ring. I do quite a bit of smoking myself and wish I could get my brisket as tender as theirs. I have heard bad things about the chicken so I would avoid it this is a bbq place get pork or beef. Oh and I almost forgot save room for their cornbread it's great. Sides are pretty bland I usually get fries and cottage cheese. I really miss the one on the west side hope they open another one on this side of town. read more

A wonderful find! We enjoyed pulled pork and brisket. Everything was delicious and just the right temperature. We even enjoyed $1 drafts. The restaurant was clean. Service was quick. read more

Let's just say there's a reason they make you pay first...otherwise you wouldn't! It was quite steep for what it was, and the food was disgusting! For the money you could go someplace MUCH nicer. Save your money, and your stomach! read more

Hickory River Smokehouse did the catering for my daughter's wedding. Tiffany Catalano is the catering manager there, and she was a tremendous help from day one. From the minute I called her, she helped me in every way imaginable. No one in my family had to lift a finger; Tiffany and her crew took care of everything, start to finish, and the transition from the ceremony to the dinner was seamless. And I am not exaggerating when I say that the food was not only the best I have had at a wedding or any catered event, but the portions were incredible. My daughter's husband was a college football player, and many of his football buddies were at the wedding, and they were absolutely beaming after the meal. Many of them couldn't finish all the food, and six months later I still have people tell me how great the food was at my daughter's wedding. If I had 10 daughters and 9 more weddings to plan, I would have Hickory River Smokehouse cater every single one. You will love the food and the service, and the pricing was very reasonable as well. When it comes to catering, Hickory River smokehouse is the best in the business. read more