My mother, niece and I were on a trip around Ireland and Northern Ireland back in the Summer of '19. Had an odd experience with a pizza place the day prior in Newtownards (Apparently pepperoni = chopped hot dog there). So, I wasn't expecting much after a long day of sightseeing in Belfast. We headed down the street to Hickory's, which we'd found online. We're from New Mexico and Texas, so we've had our fair share of bbq. The manager was amazing. Very friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious. Not just for bbq outside the US, but in general. One of many pleasant surprises on our trip. I would definitely head there again if I'm ever near Belfast. read more

Nice spot for a reasonably priced family lunch, that is very child friendly. The front bar is lovely and very comfortable, but feel that the restaurant area is quite tired looking and a little basic. Staff were very friendly and attentive and we were in a party of 6 adults and 3 kids. Food was brought out all at the same time, and presented well with decent portions. Will hopefully be back soon. read more

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After our trek up to Scrabo Tower, my two girls and I had built up a hefty appetite. As we were in Newtownards I decided to take them to Hickorys Smokehouse and Grill. We arrived around mid day and we very impressed with the welcome we received and with the general 'feel' and look of the place. On chatting to the manager (who hails from Turkey and has made NI his home), he was telling me that the restaurant has been Hickory's since 2014. It was previously Italian restaurants by the name of Zio then Carlitos. Hickory's is undergoing a bit of a face lift and I thought the place looked really authentic!!I really loved the colour scheme and the pictures especially ones explaining the BBQ terms etc.The brand new menu was launched a couple of weeks ago and has really been popular with the customers and staff as well.There is also a kids menu and on Sundays kids eat for free!! The main restaurant (used for smaller groups and has live music at the weekend) holds about 90 settings with an additional 60 on the first floor (used for bigger parties) and up to 60 in the Basement (which can be hired out for private functions and has a DJ booth). There is also a covered/heated beer garden/smoking area at the rear.My girls went for sausage (2), chips and beans and freshly made chicken goujons (4) chips and beans. The chips were skinny fries (with skin on) and were crispy!! The girls finished them off in a jiffy whilst I had my starter of smoked garlic prawn gambas. This dish had plenty of succulent prawns in a lovely smokey, tomato sauce with a hint of garlic,served with side salad and garlic bread. The girls still had room for strawberry and vanilla sundaes whilst I had my full rack of ribs with half a chicken. Mine cam out on a tray accompanied by some slaw, two meaty onion rings, salad and a token piece of garlic bread. In all honesty it was a meat feast!!The sundaes were delicious and filling according to my girls!!! Now onto my tray... presentation was first class, no airs and graces, good food and plenty of it did all the talking. Taste wise the ribs (all 10 I counted) were loaded with succulent, soft, melt in your mouth/fall apart slow cooked, finest fresh Northern Irish pork! There was plenty of BBQ sauce on board (I asked for more as I like my BBQ sauce). The fresh NI chicken was moist all the way through, full of flavour and exceptional. The slaw was creamy and crunchy but portion could have been bigger, the two onion rings were wonderful-plenty on onion in a light batter. The salad was kind of 'lost' and really not needed and garlic bread again was nice but didn't belong. If the dish was served with corn bread and pickles and slaw that would have been perfection. The verdict......definitely one of the best Smokehouse/ slow cooked BBQ restaurants I've been to-One to definitely pay a visit to. There are various special offers on like Steak night Tuesday, Rib Wednesday and T bone Thursday. The basement can be hired out for private functions as well. The staff are very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly and this is a super, family friendly, no nonsense eatery. read more

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Went here last night for a friend's birthday. For a large group of us (16) things went pretty great. Service was efficient, staff were friendly, good atmosphere. The food itself was alright. The starters, albeit all being the same price, vary wildly in terms of quantity of food. Chicken strips that cost £4.99, nachos that cost £4.99, however you get 4 small pieces of chicken vs. a huge plate of nachos covered in meat and cheese which easily serves two. Mains were huge, the place definitely gives you a lot for your money. Ranging from huge 12oz burgers with 2 inches of tobacco onions, to mountainous stacks of meat with 2 inches of tobacco onions... They love their tobacco onions. Other than that, pleasant enough place, good value for money in some menu items, not so much in others. read more

A long long time ago (What? I dunno, like 4 months ago) in a galaxy far far away (Alright, alright... it was Ards... Look, I'm just trying to tell a story here) my friend and I were in search of an eatery to settle our galactic appetites before seeing the new Star Wars film (See what I did there? Meh, there's just no pleasing some people!) Had a table booked and were seated within moments, waitress was punctual, patient and listened tentatively as I explained to her that I have some food allergies, I explained that one allergy was quite severe and jokingly indicated (you know that serious joking you do when you really need to get your point across but don't want to come across a total wassock at the same time) that if I had a reaction, she'd best remember her CPR lessons. Undaunted, she returned a few minutes later with a message from the Chef who had identified a potential similar allergen in one of the sauces and although I wasn't allergic to the particular ingredient, I was rather impressed by the Chefs knowledge, attention to detail and duty of care for the customer. (Although I admit dying patrons couldn't be great for business, so it probably wasn't totally selfless lol) Food was amazing, really really tasty, portions were huge and prices were in line with similar restaurants serving similar food. I find restaurants quite warm and stuffy regardless of the temperature outside so I was glad of the beer/smoking garden which provided some much needed 'fresh' evening air between courses. My only complaint was the serving dish / tray / plank / whatever the hell that thing was... Call me old fashioned but what ever happened to serving food on a bloody plate? I swear, the next time I get chips served in tin bucket or a burger on a shovel, tables WILL be upended... after I've finished eating, obviously... TL;DR: Big, tasty, American food... It's hot, it's brown and there's plenty of it. Really, what's not to like? read more

Been here several times and the food has always been lovely staff are very pleasant. The restaurant has a lovely layout and the decor is nice. All in all I would recommend this establishment for anyone wanting a nice meal with quick service. Parking is the only issue in this area on street parking only on a busy road. read more

Went on a Friday night, after being seated it took the staff around 20mins to ask me for a drink , then again 20 to return and take food order . Ordered slider trio , full rack ribs . Food arrived in good time , very tasty and good portions. Chips maybe under cooked slightly but wasn't an issue . Will defo b back . Better service would have earned an extra star. read more

Hickory's - Full rack ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Ards, ARD

Really over salted, and huge portions. Staff were quite friendly, but wouldn't be rushing back. Though if you like big bold american food, you will probably like here. read more

This place was great the sausages where a bit hard to cut and chips could be juicier but it was really nice im 12 and really enjoyed it.

Came here on a friday night without any reservations and the place was jam packed....dispite this they had us seated within 10 minutes even tho we had agreed to wait up too 30 minutes. As soon as we took a seat to wait we were asked if we would like drinks and they were brought instantly. When seated we waited no longer than 10 minutes before our order was being taken ( again the place was packed). I ordered a prawn cocktail for which was perfect but it was the nachos with pulled pork and cheddar that got my attention. It was a mountain. It was also so slow cooked it literally melted in my mouth wen I tryed it. I then had the brisket which I had never tryed before and once again melted in my mouth with unbelievable taste and texture. The service was fast efficient and with a smile and the woman who served us, even tho under pressure still took the time to have a minute or two small talk. And with the size of the portions we were offered a doggy bag. Easiest 5 stars I will ever give as I have been multiple time and never had any change with my experience. read more

Enjoyable experience. Lovely food and the decor is beautiful. Bit pricey, but you get what you pay for.