Stopped by this little spot out in Carthage on my way back through, and I am so glad I did. The…read morewhole vibe was cute and welcoming right off the bat. It has great outdoor seating, rustic western decor, and Christian worship music playing softly over the radio, which was honestly such a nice plus. The staff were fantastic, super friendly, and loved trading some banter back and forth with me. Just genuine, warm southern hospitality all around.
Now for the food. Anyone who knows me knows I am extremely picky about barbecue, and Twisted Hickory ranks right up near the top. I ordered the two meat plate with chicken and moist brisket, which comes with two sides, toast, and sauce.
A lot of barbecue joints treat sides as an afterthought, which usually ruins the meal for me, but they completely knocked it out of the park here. I went with the MAN beans and the smoked mac and cheese. The beans were loaded with big hunks of meat and had a rich, bold flavor. The smoked mac and cheese was on another level entirely. It might honestly be the best mac and cheese I have ever had at a barbecue joint, if not anywhere. Super creamy, cheesy, and full of smoky flavor. Easy 9/10 on the sides.
Moving on to the meats, the chicken was seasoned with a little kick and was anything but dry. One of the staff members recommended taking a bite of the chicken together with the mac and cheese, and that was an absolute game changer. The brisket had incredible flavor and was fall apart tender and moist.
My only small qualm, and I am not sure if it was just an honest mistake or their standard portioning, was the meat balance. On my two meat plate, it was about 80 percent chicken (around six strips) and only a single strip of brisket. Normally on a two meat plate you would expect a more even split, especially with brisket. I should have asked at the counter, but the flavor was so good that I just found myself wishing I had a little more beef on the plate.
To finish everything off, I had to grab some cobbler. The guy working recommended blackberry while the ladies insisted on peach. Naturally, I listened to the ladies and went with peach, and it was the perfect end to the meal. Great crust to fruit ratio and just the right amount of sweetness.
Overall, giving it a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars, only knocked down slightly because of the brisket portion size. Still, the quality and flavors speak for themselves, and this is definitely a spot I would make the drive up from Houston for on a weekend road trip. Highly recommend checking them out if you are passing through Carthage!
