WOW !! Are u THINKIN bout comin to HT ?!! Well, don't think,, jusss DO IT !! I eat here many nights a week, and I can personally say, from Management, to Servers, to Bartenders, it's a phenomenal experience. The Menu is diversified, and there's SOMETHING for every one.. Reasonably Priced, excellent indoor/outdoor venues, and delicious food make Hickory Tavern an excellent Destination Restaurant Choice!! read more

I stopped in for lunch for the South Carolina bowl game against Miami. Place was pretty packed, given that it's new and because of the game. We were seated immediately near the bar and had no less than 10 TVs in eyesight at all times. TONS of TVs - I really like the setup. Overall the place is actually a lot smaller than it looks from the outside. Very cool patio (2 levels) that would be nice in the warmer weather. Tons of local/regional craft beers on tap, and reasonably priced ($4-$7). Our service was outstanding. Not only was our server great, but we had several other managers stop by to ask how we were doing. I ordered a cheeseburger, and it was quite delicious. Certainly better than some other burgers downtown, but not the best ever. Price was around $11 for burger/fries which is slightly higher than say, Carolina Ale House, who also has great food. My only real complaint is the cost of our appetizer. We ordered chips and queso, and to be honest I didn't notice the price until our check came. I would expect chips and cheese dip to be maybe $5. Their chips and cheese dip was $8.20. For chips. And cheese. Just seems pretty high, but that's my fault for not noticing the price ahead of time. I'll definitely be back for another meal, sans the cheese dip, and will try more on the menu. read more

We had dinner here last night before a show at Music Farm. We were seated promptly after a very short wait at the front. Our server was very nice and attentive. We ordered a few beers (they have an awesome beer selection,on tap and in the bottle). To start off, we ordered a crab dip with pita points. It was really delicious and creamy. For entrees, we decided to share some stuff. We ordered 6 wings in Red Dragon sauce, a side of celery and bleu cheese, and the Buffalo Chicken tacos with a side of raw fries. The wings were fabulous and the sauce they were tossed in was really delightful but could have used a little more heat. The raw fries were nice and crispy, and the celery and bleu cheese were also delicious. The tacos looked and tasted good and were very large. However, the sauce was a tad bit too spicy, and we weren't able to finish them. The atmosphere in this place is really young and fresh and upbeat. We liked it a lot. We will definitely be back, especially in spring to enjoy their patio. read more

I understand that times are tight now, but I'm not going to pay $14 for an entree salad that is literally the size of an unimpressive side salad. I returned it and the restaurant as a whole stopped all communication with our table... After about 20 mins we asked another server if we could get our checks and she told us that we were not her table. Then a big Nikolai Valuev looking guy came out and just stood uncomfortably near our table. I don't believe I was being unreasonable at all. We won't bother being unwelcome at Hickory Tavern again. read more

Big menu, beers and food! We only had drinks, so this rating could go up or down, but I wanted to write something since I check'd in here. There were more TV's than at a Best Buy, so that is good for sporting events, pay-per views, etc. The bartenders were knowledgeable, friendly, and good at their jobs. The menu is very extensive. I'll go back to try the grub. They're kitchen is open late as hell so that is a plus! read more

See all

We have visited here numerous times in the past few months and the food, service and atmosphere have all been great.

Hello, I visited Hickory Tavern in the Vista for a graduation celebration. My experience was FAR from acceptable. The waitresses never mentioned there name until asked and did not offer refills. After waiting for two hours for food, several orders were messed up and baked potatoes were VERY old. A reservation was placed and staff was still unprepared. No one updated us on the food or even checked in to make sure everyone was okay. After mentioning issues to staff they were still very nonchalant including the manager and problems were not solved. Not only food and service horrible the women's bathroom floor was covered in water and wet tissue with NO caution sign. read more

This was my first time at Hickory Tavern and it was fine for a quick bite to eat. It's not somewhere I would go if I was looking to impress anyone. I had the hummus appetizer, which had no flavor at all. The one thing that made up for the appetizer was the Korean sauced my wings were tossed in. The wings were so good that I wish I would have just ordered a double selection of the wings. Service is slow, so if your looking to be in and out arrive before the crowd. The positive is that their drinks are strong. Plan extra time for parking because there is little to no parking for the restaurant. We had to circle 6 or 7 times before locating a spot. read more

I had the pleasure of dining at Hickory Tavern in Columbia, SC this evening while in town for business. Great atmosphere and the staff could not have been nicer. The manager, Tracy, checked in with me several times and my waitress,Maddie, was very friendly and provided fast service. Overall, I had an excellent experience and look forward to a return trip the next time I am in town. Go Gamecocks read more

The service is on point. The beer selection is also on point. The entrees are on point. But the appetizers are just okay. We had the chicken and rice and the wontons from their food truck menu... meh. The soft pretzel was okay. As far as entrées go though, I had the mushroom and swiss burger on the most buttery, crispy sourdough I've ever had. It was delicious! A friend of mine had a perfectly cooked ribeye. The loaded baked potato was huge and they didn't charge me for it since our server forgot to bring it out. read more

Im not normally one to leave bad reviews but I called once to speak to someone, got put on hold for almost 10mins, then called again with no pick up. I DoorDash'd a Cuban sandwich after a rough work week and I have to say this is the most bullshit excuse of a sandwich I've ever had. It's literally ham lunch meat from the fridge section at Walmart, stale bread, fries completely soggy. *With the prices they charge, someone needs to let someone know they need to get their shit together as far as what ingredients are used and how the food is prepared. I've gotten food from hickory tavern 3 times (hoping for redemption because the menu is tempting) and it's been straight up garbage every time. Do NOT waste your money on this over priced terrible quality trash. read more

Dined here on a Saturday night with a group of 10. I called earlier in the week to try and make reservations, they do not take them, even for a large party. I asked about call aheads, again, no dice. The girl on the phone said it would be no problem seating us and not to worry. So we arrive at 7:25pm and are told the wait is an hour. O.o I spoke to the manager and explained the situation, he was more concerned with who I spoke to and said he would try to figure something out, well he never did. We ended up sitting outside; thankfully there were heat lamps out there! The service was dismal, it took 50 minutes to get our meals, one guy even ate for free because it took an hour for his fish tacos to come out, I guess they went and caught his fish that night! Our waitress kept apologizing and even said that they had their "B Team" in the kitchen that night...something she probably shouldn't have said. The food was just ok. My steak was really chewy; my baked potato was so dry. The nachos are huge and pretty good, overall everyone said their meals were good, however most likely would not return. It's just standard bar food and a few other options. Nothing that would draw me back. The restaurant area is large as well as the bar area. They have a lot of outdoor seating that I'm sure fills up when it's nice out. Ok meal, but we won't be back. read more

Friendly staff, but service was a little slow on the kitchen side and the parking is horrible! However, if you're looking for a great place to watch football, you definitely want to check this place out!! They have TVs everywhere and they even give you a map to tell you which games on are on each tv. The guys were in heaven! read more

Hickory Tavern - A sports lovers dream! - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Hickory is a great place to watch the game or grab a burger. The service is fast and friendly. I also like the outdoor dining. This would be five stars if they had a couple more light and vegetarian options on the menu. read more

I want to preface this review by saying that my husband and I do not often eat in sports bar type restaurants. I'm sure that what Hickory Tavern serves is fine, for what it is. I truly am not usually as negative as this review makes me seem. :) We dropped in for a quick dinner on a Friday night, hoping to have a minimal wait. We were, in fact, sat immediately, and the service was...fine. The food, however, was incredibly sub par. We ordered the crab dip appetizer (we were starving), which was so clearly frozen (I know, I know: "Of course it was!") and fishy tasting that neither of us had a second bite. I had the Chicken Colorado. At best, this was an entrée that I might've cooked in college, with my roommates, if we needed to make something with what was left over in the fridge. I'm pretty sure the grilled chicken was precooked, then microwaved upon ordering; after which, someone dumped some barbeque sauce, bacon crumbles, cheese and scallions on top. My husband ordered some sort of fish tacos and pot stickers from the "Food Truck Menu" (or something like that). These were, by far, better than anything else that we had at the restaurant. Probably, because they were "bar food" and the quality that you'd expect. He did at least finish them. I think that the atmosphere is great for a sports bar. The beer selection is extensive. It does seem to be the perfect place to have drinks and watch your favorite team...but don't come hungry. :) read more

Great service and food. Waitress and host staff were expedient in service. Great environment for watching any game or party. read more

See all

Most of the time I feel that my experience is pretty similar to the reviews of a place, but I must admit my recent experience at Hickory seems to completely diverge from most of the other reviews. For my sister's bachelorette party of 13+, we wound up at Hickory Tavern because none of the other "nicer" restaurants in the Vista would accommodate a party of our size on a Saturday night. Their loss! We had an absolutely wonderful time - good food, a TERRIFIC server, and great atmosphere. No complaints here, and my sister had a great time! read more

Ordered delivery from Uber Eats on a Thursday night. The lettuce in the caesar salad that we ordered was basically full leaves, none of the romaine was cut. The nachos we ordered did not come with a side of chili that we had called and requested and had been reassured we would get. The nachos themselves came with a spattering of cheese and probably 5 jalapeno peppers. I understand this is bar food but I was expecting more than soggy tortilla chips with my order. read more

This place is yummy!! The atmosphere is great! Nice and clean place with TV sets everywhere. Sophie was our waitress and she was quick. We had wings and a grilled chicken sandwich. Tyler was attentive as the manager. The chocolate tower cake is to die for!! We will be back! read more

Hickory Tavern - Great atmosphere!! - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I took my 5 member family here recently for a birthday dinner. The service was poor. I ordered Shrimp and Grits. What I got was Shrimp, sausage and a smidgen of Tasso gravy. The grits were so dry, I could have made "grit balls" out of them. I expressed this to my server and her repliy was " I'm so sorry". I was hoping for more, but since I didn't get it, I asked for Tasso gravy so I could try to get them moist. She brought me a "to go" and a 1/4 cup of Tasso. i asked, and she agreed, to bring more...another 1/4 cup. Needless to say, I enjoyed leftovers today, after adding water the the grits so that they were palatable I wish I had taken a picture of the dry grits to post read more

Service is actually pretty good, drinks were as well. Now, the food was absolutely bad. The queso (which was their star item) was just melted cheese and bland. The Mac and cheese with chicken was $14, i added lobster for $4. When it arrived it was in this huge bowl but a quarter of the way filled up. It wouldn't have even been enough for my five year old. The so called garlic bread was just a complete joke. Out of the food between my wife and I, the fries were dope. They were the best!!! read more

Hickory Tavern - Sports Bars Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

See all

I would go less on the Stars but that might affect the business poorly from what may have been an off night. My friend and I came in on Sunday night about 8 o'clock. Several games where being televised, Football, Soccer, there was also a Red Bull show on. There were only 4 patrons in there at that time, they were at a table in the corner. We ordered a beer from the bartender who did not really seem to know what he was doing, he said they were out of it, although I could see the can through the glass door in front of me, but I choose a different beer. We were there to get some takeout food so we ordered the Spinach artichoke dip, The Cuban Sandwich, a large salad and the California Chicken Salad. I was originally told the Cubano was unavailable. The Bartender checked with the kitchen and they said they could make it, however there was not a way to ring it in because it had been blocked in the computer. It was eventually sorted out. It got sorted out after what seemed to be an eternity. Our food took a bit long I think but whats a few minutes. Bartender brought out separate checks, we wanted to pay with one credit card. He had a server come out and explain the process of combining a check, took a few minutes. We paid the check and left back to our hotel room to find; no utensils, no napkins and one important side item missing. Food was pretty good, experience was not. Double check your take out orders. read more

Had a great meal here. Mexi-Ranch is amazing! Also had a hot waitress who was super sweet....but a little slow.. ;) read more

Restaurant has only been open for one month so take what I say with this in mind. First it was typical of a bar / pub which we expected. Nothing special about the decor. I ordered a dirty martini and they brought me a vodka rocks. I don't believe the server knew what a dirty martini was. One I received it, it was very small almost the size of a shooter. My chicken wings were good but uneventful. My wife ordered a build your own salad. They got two of the four ingredients wrong...they put peanuts in the salad...a big no-no. Had she been allergic it would have been bad. In my opinion the servers did not know the menu or drinks very well. They need much better education. A casual atmosphere does not mean to be casual in service. When I mentioned to the manager the martini problem he said "she is only 19 and does not know what a dirty martini is". Lame excuse... management is at fault.. I did tip the server good... not all her fault. read more

Stopped in for dinner on a Friday night. Good burgers and drinks, but service was lacking. Plenty of TVs to catch any live sporting events. read more

Family got sick after eating here. Service was poor. Had to wait for waitress to stop texting to get drink refills and the check. They tried on the food but fell short. Fries tasted like they were stale. read more

Hickory has great craft beers on tap. Friendly and food is awesome. I'm glad we came.

Typical, average sports bar food. Pretty extensive beer list. Prices a little pricey for Columbia (but normal by larger city standards). Service is OK. Lots of TVS, so good place to watch sports. read more

The food is alright. There are plenty of TVs with a variety of sports on. It's a perfect sports bar with a nice atmosphere and the deck area is the best part about this place. The bartenders are very friendly! Upon going back, I actually fell in love with their seared ahi tuna salad. You would think it would be terrible quality due to the nature of the establishment, but it's actually pretty amazing. read more

I'm a huge fan of their chicken wings here - try it "extra crispy" with the sauce on the side - the extra done-ness of the chicken wings gives them a great texture and their sauces were fairly solid. Music was blaring while my group was sitting there though, I couldn't hear the person sitting 2 seats from me while they were attempting to talk to me. Perhaps chill with the rock music a little, Tavern? read more

The service here is excellent! Christin was the bartender and she was great. She made my experience personal (remembered my name and was friendly) and this is my first time here! The cook made a simple mistake with my order from the late night menu but the manager came out and gave me my food on the house. Impressed! Not for the free food but for the service!!! By the way I had the Red Dragon flavored wings. They were great! read more

See all

I'm a big fan of beer and sporting events on television so I decided to give this place a shot. As other reviewers have said, there are a ton of televisions hanging all over the walls. You should be able to get a nice view of whatever is on from wherever you end up sitting. The beer list is fairly decent. I think there were 95 total between draft and bottles. The bartender was pleasant, but she wasn't very knowledgeable about the beer selection. If you're looking for a beer and a place to watch the game, this place isn't bad. If you want to have service from knowledgeable bartenders and waitstaff, I'd recommend flying saucer or world of beer. They are nearly adjacent to this location. To be fair, game watching isn't going to be nearly as nice at the flying saucer or world of beer. I guess it all comes down to what you're looking for. read more

This place has a great beer selection and great food. So we started our night off here for some food and a beer. We looked over the menu and we both seen the greatest taco's known to man. Fried Grouper TACOS! So that is what we ordered I had a side of fries and my wife had the homemade chips. Our food came out in a timely manner and when I took my first bite I thought I was back in Destin Florida eating. The tacos melted in my mouth and I was hungry for more. I could have eaten three more, but we wanted to have fun so I made sure not to eat anything else that night. It would not have been a fun night with me feeling like I was going to explode from eating more than I needed. The atmosphere here is great and we will be coming here a lot more now. This might be one of my favorite places in the Vista. read more