My husband and I went to the Hickory Tavern Sunday afternoon for appetizers and a beer . We sat outside on the patio and had a very good time . We had the BBQ chicken nachos and the Ahi tuna , they were both delicious . Our service was quick and very friendly . The patio was pet friendly which was great because we brought our small dog with us . We highly recommend this place. read more

We come here quite a bit for lunch and the service is always good and I like the food but today I had the "lemon pepper tavern fish sandwich" and it was DELICIOUS. Will definitely keep coming! read more

What a bummer! We've ate and drank here before and tonight was a total bait and switch. We had a party of 9, and gave them ample time to get our table ready and seat us because some of our party hadn't arrive yet. Once we were seated our waitress promptly greeted us, and that's where the good service ended. We had all finished our drinks and food still had not come out. Our server was nowhere to be found. We flagged down another employee to hunt her down. Finally our food starts coming out. But wait- the two orders of tacos with a side of tots are not ready yet....so my fiancé and I started eating his low country boil. How over cooked can a shrimp get? Well eat at Hickory Tavern and you'll find out. When my fish tacos finally made it to the table over THIRTY-MINUTES later...the server set for a plate of two tacos that were shell, lettuce and grilled shrimp. WHAT the ??? I asked her if she would take them back and have whatever is supposed to be on them added and you would have thought I had 10 heads she was so confused. You mean tacos are supposed to have pico or salsa or cheese? What in the world???! Meanwhile our over cooked tots arrive as the rest of our party are wrapping up their meals. I literally stabbed a fork in it and it flew across the dining room. Finally the tacos arrive fully dressed! YAY- but wait, one bite in and it's a rubbery, barely chewable shrimp with the shell still on! Hickory Taverns kitchen proves at least they are consistent in being epically terrible! It takes a certain amount of skill to royally mess up what is quite possibly the two easiest dishes to prepare on the menu. Combine an inattentive server with a lazy kitchen staff = a very bad experience. Side note- one of the "managers" was sitting by the hostess stand texting and on his cell phone the entire time. And when a manager did finally come out...it was when we were ready for our bill. The only reason this gets two stars is because my Martini was extra dirty so props to the bartender for doing their job!! read more

First time here. Loved the Philly cheesesteak with the sweet potato fries. Great local brown beer on draft. Service was great. Can't ask for anything more. read more

This restaurant is consistently hit or miss, I'm very sad to report. It starts at the confused host(ess) stand when there is a wait. It then extends to unenthusiastic servers, and meals that don't arrive for all small-table patrons at the same time. It's bar food, nothing is truly unique. I always try to support my local neighborhood establishments. Nine (9) visits to Hickory Tavern proves that, with multiple friends and colleagues, but no more. read more

Been looking for a good place to eat wings in the Cary area since I recently moved here. This place so far places #1. The server was very personable and we loved how well he took care of us. Everyone at the table enjoyed the food. We had the nachos for an appetizer and it almost ruined the meal because it filled us up. It is on the expensive side compared to some joints. They have lots of televisions and would be a great place on game day or on a cool day where you can sit outside. read more

Stopped into hickory today to enjoy a couple of beers on the spacious outdoor patio. Courtney F was a fantastic server and made sure we had a great time. if you guys stop in, make sure you ask for her section read more

"Hot and Cold". I've been here several times. I loved the health salad. I also really enjoyed the hummus appetizer. But recently I went there and I saw they had fish and chips. I asked the waiter if he recommended it and he very proudly told me it was one of their most popular dishes. So I ordered it. Well, it was HORRIBLE. The fish was so overcooked and dry. It was like eating a brittle piece of cardboard. I was very disappointed. They do have a good selection of draft beers. But I have definitely experienced better. read more

Went there today 04/06/2017 at around 420pm.The service was great, very friendly however I tried the traditional po'boy and it was extremly salty ... I wounded up eating just the shrimp. I might give it another try its very close to my house so will keep everyone posted... read more

Food is actually good for a big menu with a lot to choose from. We like it and will continue to return.

Freezing inside. Hostess sat me outside. Manager had to bring menu. Waited 15 mins. Went to bar to get drink she said would send server. Waited 15 more mins. Ordeded at bar. Made 7 trips in. Drink..order..condiments...napkins..ranch that i ordered at bar with food. Refill.. Box that i was not allowed to get because BOGO. The food thrown in bag. Had to tip 3 different folks. Came to do work and i am sitting in compmete darkness. One light works. Can not believe the horrible sevice. Will never return. I have spent my life in this industry and this is sad. It is monday night and not busy. Manager knew and still never got server. read more

Pretty good. The biggest perk is the covered outdoor seating so our dog was able to eat lunch with us! The food is good, not great, but good for a quick easy experience. On par with chili's, maybe a bit better! read more

Our server was great. Very friendly and made suggestions. The following was NONE of our servers fault. My dad and I both got wings. He got traditional wings and I got the Charred wings. Dads food came out first with an apology from the server and noted mine would be right out. My dads order was cold so we sent it back. Mine then came out to no complaints. My dads food never came back out until after we paid our bill and we're ready to leave. The issue besides the kitchen ticket times was the fact that the shift manager did seemingly nothing about it except a 10% discount of the wings. I watched her congregate with the wait staff and stroll around with no sense of urgency. Having run several businesses myself I was turned off immediately. It was a shame. read more

We moved to the Cary area a few months ago and have eaten at the Hickory Tavern several times. The food is consistently good, the service is great and it's a good family atmosphere. Deserves more than three star rating. Worth a try if you have not eaten there. read more

Had an early dinner here. We were seated right away but waited a very long time for a server. No other employee acknowledged our long wait with our menus. The restaurant was not busy at all and seemed adequately staffed. Our food was bland and cold... After a long wait. If you want somewhere to watch a game and only drink beer and don't mind slow service, you will be happy. However we will not be returning. read more

I had high hopes for this place but was soooo disappointed. Me and my friend went to grab a drink and after seating ourselves at the bar and waiting forever until the bartender finally came up. Honestly we almost just grabbed the menu ourselves because it was supposed to be a quick trip before our movie. When she came she took our order and gave us our drinks but quickly dropped them off and moved on. It honestly wasn't that busy and for some reason took forever to flag her down. We ordered spinach dip and food to go because we had a little time but it took almost what felt like 30 min just to have our dip finally come out. We ate and had already missed the credits so we're trynna get out of there fast ...eventually she came with the bill but no food in sight and we only ordered two things. By the time our food came she had us wait a little longer because apparently we were waiting on fries....we checked the bag and it was already there. I'm just disappointed we wasted so much and missed a lot of our movie for over salted cold food and mediocre drinks :(. read more

Went for a birthday party a few weeks ago. The waiter was great! The back room we were seated in was really nice and pretty quiet. The food was good (tater tots were awesome) but unfortunately I was up sick all night from what I assume was food poisoning. I thought it may have been a fluke or a bug but come to find out 2 other people from the group also got sick the same night. Not sure what happened but thought I'd mention it. read more

The food portions are good. It is your pretty typical sports bar atmosphere. However, the service is slow. My daughters and I were there last night before going to a performance in Durham. We arrived at 5:25pm and had to be in Durham by 7:20pm. Plenty of time. However, we had a very long wait between getting the appetizer and food. We left at 6:40pm. There was no reason for our dinner to take so long, but this has been our experience more than once. read more

Disappointed again, we want to like this restaurant because it is close to our house and has lots of TV's. Service is not very good and food has taken an hour to arrive the 5 times we have eaten here. Management needs to kick this location in gear. read more

We were enjoying dinner and drinks at the Cary location on Saturday night when a man came in with his dog (not a service animal). The man had a leash in his hand but proceeded to let his dog roam around the dining area without a leash. I care not to have a dog sniffing around my table when I'm eating. Management was slow to do anything. We won't eat at this establishment again. read more

Tonight was the first time any of my family has eaten at a Hickory Tavern. There were 4 adults(including myself) and 1 child. Things were going good until we got our food. Everyone got their food but my husband. The waitress finally came over and you could tell she could t remember what he got. She came back about 10 minutes later that saying she forgot to put his order in and they were going to quickly make it for him. He ordered the shrimp boil. The manager came over apologizing and offering him a salad or something. Of course my husband said no, he would just wait for his food. They brought it out about the time we were all finishing up. Then they didn't even comp his meal. After we paid and were fixing to go my husband confessed that the food was cold but didn't want to make a big deal about it. So, I will probably never go back again. Two of the most important things about a restaurant are the food and service. If you can't get those right then you're failing as a restaurant. If you're wanting to eat at a GOOD tavern go to either My Way Tavern(Holly Springs) or Mason Jar(Holly Springs/Fuquay). read more

So the food was great then I thought it would be. everything was fresh and crispy as it should be. The bread was soft and tasted fresh. nothing had that left out all day taste. It very clean place with a lot of room. th eonly issue I had was everytime I tried to order a drink they where some how out of something. it got to the point where I didn't want to order anything but water. But I tried one last time and the drink that I did order was so good that I got another one. it nobody fauilt that they were out of it but it did upset me that they was out of something on three different drinks I try to order. read more

We have never had anything but amazing service and food here. The staff makes the difference. Tonight Eric and Meeza were amazing. So personable and friendly. Spot on with all requests/orders. Highly recommend. Our local Cheers! read more

I've been coming to Hickory weekly and typically have had great experiences. However, Friday night, my wife and I sat right in front of the kitchen door, so we had full view of them preparing food. To our disgust, we observed the assistant kitchen manager placing his bare hands on top of food to apparently check the temperature. He also was grabbing fries with his hands, after wiping his nose. We brought our concerns to another manager and he subsequently put gloves on. read more

Convenient location having just been to the movies. Food and service were ok. My boyfriend and I both had lobster rolls. I should know better but was excited to see it on menu. I'm from Boston and its impossible to get good seafood here. Prep of lobster was off, way too salty. Server wasn't attentive, but polite. read more

The wait times at Hickory Tavern make no sense. We were a party of 6. They separated 2 different sets of tables that were already set up for 6-8 people to sit smaller groups that came in well after us. A 30-45 min wait when there are many empty tables in the place is crazy. read more

The service is horrible in this location. Please do not waste your time stopping here. I normally do not leave bad reviews but after multiple attempts this review is well deserved. The bartenders are horrible. They willingly ignore customers. The manager walks around clueless to the mannerisms of his guests. I waited 40 min on a cheeseburger plate to go. Other customers around me were complaining about the same issues! One bartender told the manager about a complaint from a customer and he refused to talk to the customer. Instead he walked around smiling as he watched TV's. Absolutely the worst experiences at any restaurant. read more

The food here was not great.. I ordered chicken nachos and they came out cold and completely stuck together. My grilled chicken sandwich was not seasoned at all. The waitress was nice that's about it. I don't see myself ever returning because of the food. I came in hungry and left hungry. read more

One poor review is for one meal. Wonderful place, stepped it up, great food and great times. Go there or use DDash!

My family and I stopped by here tonight. It was our first time here and we kinda came in looking for bad things based on the reviews we read. I'm happy to report that the food was great. My wife had the buffalo chicken sandwich and I had the El Diablo burger. She enjoyed hers and kind was fantastic. I'm really going to recommend that the folks reading my review disregard some of the negative reviews you see. Hickory has a clean restaurant, friendly staff and great food. What else do you want? We plan on coming back and probably make it a regular stop for us. We were in and out in about an hour. Thanks Hickory Tavern for a pleasant dining experience. read more

I went yesterday for the first time with some friends. We sat out on the porch which was not crowded at all and had THE BEST service we have had in a long time! Our waiter, Chris, was on the ball with everything and was really funny to talk to. Normally places are busy during football games and the service can be hit or miss, but Hickory Tavern was excellent! I would go back there in a heartbeat! Highly recommend! read more

I LOVE coming here! The strawberry patch margarita is my absolute favorite. The bartenders there are always awesome and the food is great. It's a really fun hangout spot, exactly what this shopping center needed! read more

My family and I tried this one night for a family dinner. First off the wait staff was awesome she alone deserves five stars. The mood was nice (though if you're outside some other patrons will forget where they are and start screaming behind you to get a friends attention walking by) the food was the only reason I didn't give this place five stars. It's not bad but it's not "omg amazing!" The crispy Brussels sprouts were good, and I was ok with my shrimp po-boy but I wanted more flavor. They do give you a nice portion of shrimp in the sand which though always a plus in my book. So if you're in the area stop in, it's definitely a nice place to have a beer and watch the game in. read more

We have eaten here before several times and all were really pretty good especially closer to their opening, but tonight we came specifically for beer and crab legs . While the beer didn't disappoint the crab legs did . Crab legs would've been great with good butter but imagine dunking your crab legs into movie theater butter ... Horrible ! We also weren't brought a pail, claw crackers , or small forks . We asked and received all but the forks . He manager brought butter for 1 of us ( despite us both having crab legs in front of us ) fixed it.... But our food was well below par . After asking the manager for the small forks he returned with 1 again . Nothing was comped and that was all we heard from it . Lesson to take away ... Don't expect too much from the manager, butter, or crab legs . But the beer hasn't let us down yet ! read more

Hickory Tavern is great! I went with some of my friends for an early dinner and we sat outside. The outdoor seating had a fan which was very nice- as it was hot out. Our waitress, Ty, was so funny and sweet. She definitely made the experience great. Our food was great and didn't take long to come out. Overall, we had a great time! read more

Stopped by for a bit and got wonderful bar service from Evan and Marissa. They are on top of it.

Ty was excellent waitress. Bar b que nachos were delicious!. Try a refresher. My favorite summer cocktail.

Great Lunch! Ask to sit in Tye's section! Best service and great food. She is very friendly and even can offer suggestions of menu items!!

This is a fun hangout spot with good food and good service. There are plenty of televisions to watch games. The drink menu is large as well. I've been here twice and both times were enjoyable. The place is super clean, including the bathrooms. Victor is a great bartender/server, even with one arm broken! Anytime I'm in the area, I will be visiting here. read more

Sooo good! Left just now and I had to write this because it was so good. Sunday brunch a little hungover I did not want to wait 30 mins to get sat (went to Briggs and the egg and I..long wait) the hostess was super friendly our server Anthony was great and the manager Eric stopped by to say hi. Amazing brunch!!! Baked omelette and the chicken and waffles are soo good :) read more