We recently stopped here on our way from NC to VA, and we think this will be part of our travel rotation. We look for highly rated restaurants, close to the interstate and which have outdoor seating because we have dogs. Bringing water for our dogs and cups to take our sweet tea with us, our server, Kiersten, was the epitome of friendly southern hospitality. The barbecue was delicious. You could see the smoker on the property. What set this apart was the choice of sides. There were several sides such as green bean casserole and creamed corn that you don't see at other barbecue joints. We will definitely be back on our next trip to NC. read more

Tried Hugh Q's BBQ and honestly... pretty mixed experience. The cheese curds were hands down the highlight -- uniquely made, you could tell they were fresh, and they came out crispy and full of flavor. Easily the best thing on the table and definitely worth trying. Unfortunately, everything else just didn't live up to it. The BBQ and brisket were a letdown -- lacking flavor, not as tender as expected, and just didn't have that true smoked BBQ quality you look for, especially in a place like Hickory where the standard is high. Service and atmosphere were fine, nothing bad there, but when the main focus is the food, it just didn't deliver the way I hoped it would. Left feeling disappointed and honestly wishing I had gone somewhere else. Might give it another shot down the road, but based on this visit, it didn't live up to the hype for me. read more

See all

I'm on the hunt for a fantastic BBQ restaurant, and this place is undoubtedly the best in town. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, making you feel right at home. The food was hot and incredibly satisfying, and the restaurant is clean and well-maintained. read more

Appeared very nice. Food was very good. Waitress wasn't too good. Had to ask someone else's waitress for more drink because my waitress decided to talk to one table for about 20 minutes read more

The food was phenomenal! The brisket is so juicy, flavored well and exceptionally tasty! The service was great, quick and made sure we had everything we needed. read more

Hugh’s Q - Pulled Chicken - 1/2 lb. Brisket - 1/2 lb. Creamed Corn & Potato Salad with Texas Toast - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

dry brisket 3 out of 3 times now, service is good . ambiance is solid. Also the corn bread was burnt

Good ambiance (a bit noisy), good food, great service (saving grace of the visit). Three of us - I ordered Brisket and Pork, Potato Salad, and Sweet Potato Casserole...Hush Puppies on the side. Pork was tender, though a bit salty. My Brisket had no Fat Cap; my brother in law's was almost a third fat...go figure. Sides were good (not as good as advertises), but I had to ask the Waitress to replace the Sweet Potatoes with the Beans because they weren't even warm. She handled it perfectly. Hush Puppies were excellent - hot, crispy, and tasty. My heart fell when the waitress brought the plates and described the sauces - Eastern NC, Mustard, and Sweet Baby Ray's...Really? The Eastern NC and Mustard were good, but the SWR tasted like something you would buy at Walmart - wait, they do sell it at Walmart. The only thing worse would be Kraft BBQ sauce from the 20th century. I had to take the Brisket home so I can get some decent sauce on it. read more

Hugh’s Q - Outside - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Hugh's Q at 2117 US Hwy 70 SE in Hickory is a real gem! HUGE portions. I mean you seriously won't leave hungry. Great service. Delicious beers on tap. Easy to get in and out of, usually no lines. Had Julia again as a server. She is awesome every time. Outstanding service, super friendly, and incredibly helpful. I will come to Hugh's Q time and time again before ever going back in the other place a couple miles down the road. Thank you Julia & Hugh's Q! Love ya'll. read more

See all

The photos of the salads drew me in. They're just as fresh and tasty as they look in the Yelp photos which is why I got the house salad with balsamic dressing as my side. So tasty!! I also ordered a pulled pork sandwich and it was so good. The Smokey taste was magnificent and I loved that it came with cole slaw and pickles on top. A very yummy treat! I sat at the bar but there's plenty of seating for groups small and large. They have a nice variety of dining choices. The server was friendly and attentive. The prices were very fair and I had a great experience at Hugh's Q! read more

Hugh’s Q - Pulled Pork Sandwich and Side Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

I tested all three meats, pork, chicken and brisket. The BBQ was on-point, perfect amount of smoke, cooked perfectly and delicious. Definitely a standout for NC BBQ and a rare example of Texas style brisket. I can also attest that the fried okra, hush puppies and slaw were also excellent. read more

Hugh’s Q - 2 Meats 2 Sides Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

A great place to have some BBQ if you're in or passing through the Hickory area. For me, we were on our way to visit family out in Hendersonville, and I had seen a Yelper I trust, Mike B, leave a very favorable review for this spot. I love good BBQ, his pictures looked fantastic, and the review made me want it, so we stopped for lunch. I will say this, on the day we went, things were disastrous from a server perspective. From anecdotal overheard conversation they had one person in back in the kitchen, and then just 1 poor lady working out front serving the whole restaurant. I couldn't say if that was staff shortage, illness, whatever. But it was very difficult to get anything. I helped myself to drink refills, I don't think she minded. So just know, I am assuming that is NOT normal for them, and I am basing my score off the food. First off, the meats are absolutely delicious, and the prices are very fair. I ordered a brisket and pork combo, and it would have been enough to feed both me and my wife. The brisket had a deep smoky flavor, though I was not given a knife, and it wasn't fork tender, which made it difficult to eat. That said, still mouth tender, and tasty. Of course the pork was pulled, required nothing but a fork, great with some of the house BBQ sauce. Sides wise, we had a wide selection, baked beans, potato salad, corn pudding, green bean casserole. The potato salad was the winner, followed by the baked beans. I felt the green bean casserole and corn both a little runny and needing a kick, but I still was satisfied with them. Hushpuppies, pickled onion, and pickle also were served, making this one heck of a loaded plate. All in all, you pull up and you can see the smoke rolling, which is always a good sign. I would recommend this place as a worthy spot to eat when you need the meats! read more

See all

Excellent BBQ and always had good service at the Bar. Not much to say except I revist this place every so often for a quick lunch and a beer read more

Great food! They were smokin meat on the back patio and mannnnnn it was great yall! Will definitely stop by if/when we head that way again! read more

Hugh’s Q - Pulled chicken & pulled pork with okra and Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Don't pass by this little BBQ joint without trying the cornbread or the jalapeno cheddar grits. All served with warm southern hospitality and a smile. You'll like the prices too. read more

Food was amazing! The bones just popped out of my ribs. And I really liked the sweet potatoes it tastes like a apple cobbler! The corn bread was really good! The tea is really good our server was very nice. It was quiet and clean. I had a really good time. And for $80.00 we got 4 meals and an appetizer and there was a lot of food!!! We were so happy to find great bbq read more

Noone ever come to take my order. Only one other table had patrons and several at the bar. This is the second time that I have had this experience. Will be the last. Would not recommend! read more

Consistently delicious Q. I'm a big fan of their green bean casserole and side salad also (not sure what they do in the salad but it gets me every time). And if you want dessert without ordering dessert, get the sweet potato casserole! read more

Fast and easy service in a cute homey restaurant. We were able to sample quite a few things in the menu. Our favorite thing was the smoked turkey, sweet potato casserole, and hush puppies (made fresh when ordered.) Only feedback was on the side dishes, the green bean casserole had good flavor but texturally the beans were too soft and the jalapeño grits can use more flavor. read more

Hugh’s Q - 2 Meats 2 Sides Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

See all

Delicious BBQ with lots of choices of sides. Generous portions! Loved the country music too. read more

Hugh’s Q - Pulled chicken and pork, sweet potato casserole, and hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

See all

The bar-b-que was very tasty, the sauces were very complimentary and not overly sweet. Service was helpful and courteous. The decor was interesting and well done, just a lot of glass as an end unit in a strip mall. Some would say it let's in a lot of light. Overall a very good lunch was had by all.of our party. read more

Great bbq. Smoked turkey is great. Pulled pork is really good. I'm a big fan of the cheese curds. Brisket is okay, but I'm from Texas. Service is always 100%. read more

Fast service, delicious food. The beans are amazing. I got the brisket sandwich and it was sooooo good. My husband got pulled pork and really liked it as well. The slaw was delicious. Great service!! read more

We were looking to grab something to eat on our way between Asheville and our home near Winston-Salem and did a quick Yelp search. We decided to stop in based on the reviews and the proximity to I-40 through Hickory. We arrived shortly after 11am on Monday morning. The location was easy to find and there was ample parking. As we drove through the parking lot we could see the huge smoker which was cooking up something delicious. We began to walk closer and could smell it as well, yum. We were greeted just as soon as we walked in the door and decided to have a seat at the counter area. The two women working were friendly and welcoming and brought us menus and took our drink orders. One of the ladies was training the other so they both interacted with us. They also have a specials board which looked great, we did note they do not have specials on Mondays and are closed on Tuesday's. My wife really loves brisket so she ordered a one meat plate with two sides. She asked for suggestions and was told the sweet potato casserole was delicious. My wife is new to the sweet potato world but is really enjoying them. She also ordered a side salad with ranch. All plates come with your choice of bread and my wife chose hushpuppies. Given the opportunity, she will always chose brisket and hushpuppies. I chose the pulled pork sandwich along with mac n cheese. This is also my go to barbecue order. We noticed their health score and the overall cleanliness of the entire place, restrooms included. Our food arrived in a timely manner and looked incredible. We immediately dug in and we were really impressed. My wife assured me she enjoyed each and every bite. It's now been almost a week since we stopped in and she is already talking about taking the trip back to Hickory to enjoy again. The salad was a step above a typical side salad, the brisket was moist and flavorful, the hushpuppies were prepared perfectly and the sweet potato casserole was delicious. She only wished she had room for the banana pudding but she was just too full. My pulled pork sandwich and mac n cheese was equally enjoyable as well. I enjoy smoking meats at home and appreciate barbecue done well. About the time we were finishing our meals we began talking to Brian Hugh who is the owner. As a fellow veteran we recounted some of our fondest memories and I enjoyed our conversation. Absolutely a must when in the area. Open Wednesday-Monday each week, Hugh's Q is delicious. We can't wait to come back and also bring our family from out of state to visit as well. We wish continued success to Brian and the crew. read more

See all

Great barbecue. Large serving size. Nice selection of sides. Pleasant servers. Ambience is basic but clean and functional.

Last visit had bbq chicken sandwich with potato salad and Mac and cheese.Nothing bad but not great.Meat portions are a little light.A little slow getting my order to go but very friendly and nice. read more

This place is excellent. I ordered Turkey, Salad and Creamed Corn along with Jalapeño cornbread. Salad was huge, ranch dressing tasted homemade, creamed corn was pretty good and the smoked turkey was excellent. Tea was also good. Husband got the biscuit and loved it. read more

We choose the pork bbq and brisket plate and decided to share it. The sides were pretty good. It came with three sides if you include the jalapeno cornbread. We had potato salad and cole slaw and liked all three. Our favorite was the brisket, though. They slow cook it right outside the restaurant and you can smell how wonderful it is from the outside. The portions were large enough to share and we still had some left over for another meal. This place is across the street from the Hickory Furniture Market. We will definitely try this again next time we are in town. read more

The food was great. If you love barbecue then you have to come here. They have awesome pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. The food was on point and there is this jalapeños cornbread that was just delicious. They are also one of the very few places, if any, that have red slaw. The service was very pleasant and helpful. They do strive to make you visit enjoyable. They have a very down home type atmosphere. Some of their can light are galvanized buckets. This place is worth the visit read more

The ambiance was acceptable but the food and service were excellent. The four of us had a variety of ribs, brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken, all were smoky and tender. The sides of slaw, hush puppies, bbq beans, green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole were terrific. The best thing was that it's open every day which is hard to find. Bravo! read more

Hugh’s Q - The aftermath! - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

As an owner of a small restaurant I'm always wanting to try something new. This restaurant was a breath of fresh air. The bar tender was very nice and the food was great. The bbq had great taste not real Smokey. read more

Hugh’s Q - Brisket and pulled pork. - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

This very well could be the best barbecue in Hickory, North Carolina I had beef pulled barbecue sandwich. It was full of flavor and juicy. You have your choice of three different sauces. read more

Wow! As a life long Texan I used to be of the mindset that if it's not Texas BBQ, just bypass the middleman and straight to the garbage can. Well, that has changed. I ordered a pulled pork on Texas toast with dills and a half order of ribs. I asked for the vinegar and mustard based sauce and they went ahead and sent all three. I also ordered the beans which would have been great alone, but the hit was the ribs and vinegar based sauce. The ribs were great alone, but the sauce kicked them over the top! Much respect from the Lonestar, that was some great BBQ! read more

Best BBQ, sides, & salads ever. We drive from Morganton to dine here often. Always clean, great friendly service and delicious food!

The ribs are made with perfection. All of their sides are amazing good. We tried their Dr Pepper sheet cake and it was surprisingly good! Highly recommended. read more

Food was absolutely delicious, , we went for the 2 and 3 plates. It was a close call between the ribs and the brisket. All things considered brisket won. The side salad is huge and wonderful. The sweet potato side was definitely a desert. Portions are very substantial and our leftovers lasted another 2 meals. Waiter was fun and efficient read more

We were traveling across country from Colorado to North Colorado . We stopped at Hugh's Q's ! We so enjoyed the brisket and fresh side salad. One of our best meals of the trip! read more

A surprise thunderstorm turned our 4.5 hour road trip into a 6+ hour ordeal, so we had to make an unplanned dinner stop in Hickory to refuel and grab some grub. This last-minute choice turned out to be quite the success for us!! I had the garden salad, which was HUGE, fresh, and came with a generous amount of dressing (on the side, I could drown my greens to my preferred level). My son had the hot dog, which he claimed was salty-good, and he chose the fried okra as his side dish, which he also enjoyed. Husband had the meat+2 sides plate and got ribs, cheddar jalapeño grits, and fried okra. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and he really enjoyed the pepper rub, it was delicious without becoming overpowering. The grits were gritty, not mushy, and the flavor was spot on, and we are a pro-fried okra household so he enjoyed them too. I was planning on getting the banana pudding but was too full to attempt it, we might stop by on our drive back home just to get some. Had a great time!! read more

This place is awesome. Got the pulled pork plate with a side of Mac and cheese, grits, and hush puppies. They were out of grits but offered the cream corn. Best suggestion ever. The pulled pork was the most tender and juicy I've had from a restaurant in ages. The hush puppies were actually seasoned and fresh. Recommend if you're looking for good BBQ!! read more

So pleased with my delivery from them! Brisket and pulled pork plate with potato salad, side salad, and banana pudding. Love the hush puppies! Great value and large servings! Love this place! read more

Hugh’s Q - Barbeque Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

We came here on a Sunday afternoon, ordered a pulled pork sandwich, mac and cheese, fries and hushpuppies. The pork wasn't the best quality, it wasn't the best texture and it was a little too soggy. The fries were fine, mac and cheese was fine. The hushpuppies were very good. Price wouldn't have been too bad for good bbq but for mediocre, it was too much. Probably won't return. read more