What a wonderful restaurant!! I was recently visiting Hickory and this was the best place I ate. The restaurant decor is inviting and elegant, and enhances the dining experience. Even when crowded, the spacing of the tables and overall layout ensured it never got too loud. The food was amazing!! My mom and I split several tapas, my favorite was probably the green beans! Everything we had was delicious- the paella, the charred green beans, the grilled Caesar. The cocktails were also really good and worth treating yourself. If you can, save room for dessert! They had a nice range on their dessert menu and I gobbled up the pot de crème. Our waiter was fantastic, checked on us throughout the meal, kept our waters full and made sure we had what we needed. Also, the bathroom smelled AMAZING. This may seen a little silly to include, but they had some fresh lilies in there which made the whole bathroom smell lovely (and I'm sure cover all the less pleasant usual bathroom smells ). Just a really nice detail. You can tell how much thought and attention is put into this restaurant, from the food, to the layout, to the service. Everything is given real care. This place is a gem. We will absolutely be back! read more

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Boca is one of those restaurants that I had wanted to try growing up, but I never did because it was a bit out of my price range. That said, I finally got the opportunity to try it. It is known as a Spanish and Mediterranean restaurant that serves various tapas. There is a lot of indoor seating as well as some outdoor seating, which is decorated elegantly. The ambiance is moody and somewhat upscale for a small town. I found the service to be solid. My friend and I got the Bruschetta Whipped Ricotta, Shrimp Tacos, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Argentinian Roast Pork Sliders, and Bourbon Pecan Pie. In terms of the tapas, the Moroccan Chicken Tagine was delicious! It is a hearty and herby stew with shredded chicken that comes with this (complimentary?) warm and fluffy bread to dip into the stew. I was disappointed in the Bruschetta Whipped Ricotta. While the pita chip by itself was good, the toppings of sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke, and herbs on it made it taste more like a slice of pizza with tomato sauce. The Shrimp Tacos were decent. I could tell that the shrimp was seasoned, potentially a bit overseasoned, and the chipotle aioli gave it a good taste. The best dish for me was the Bourbon Pecan Pie. It came out piping hot but when paired with the vanilla ice cream, it melted in my mouth. I also did not find it too sweet, which was a plus for me! Overall, I think Boca is a lovely spot for a date night. The food leaves more to be wanted though, especially when basing items off of Moroccan and Spanish flavors. I am also biased coming from a larger city where this type of food was popular and readily available. I would probably rate this spot a 3.75/5 stars if I could. read more

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Such a beautiful and comfortable place! Seating in a booth was private and quiet except for piano music playing in the background. Food was excellent- we shard a salad , green beans and the classic paella. We could not finish it all! Cocktails were delicious and sized generously. Such a wonderful evening out! read more

This restaurant came recommended to me from a friend who I will now always trust for future recommendations. Not only was the service outstanding, always being met with a grin, but the food was equally fantastic. Definitely order the whipped prosciutto and ricotta appetizer! Definitely recommend sitting outside at night if the weather allows, the ambiance outside was very nicely lit and decorated with fairy lights above you. read more

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After several months of being in Hickory, I have finally found my favorite restaurant. Boca hits the mark! Everything about this place is top notch. First of all, they have very convenient, ample parking that makes the location feel off the beaten path, even though it isn't. The lovely brick exterior gives a nice classy feel. They have a delightful outdoor patio area that I would love to try if I am in the area when it is warmer. Making a reservation is a snap through the Yelp app. I highly recommend it because Boca is fine dining and you want to be sure you have a place reserved because you do not want to miss this experience. The staff are so friendly and make the experience even better. I was seated at a cozy booth. The restaurant is very intimate and sleekly decorated. I loved the ambience. The menu offers a lovely cocktail selection and a healthy wine list with very affordable and sought-after wines. The food menu offers a variety of tapas and entrees. I was alone so I went small but tried the goat cheese and roasted beet arugula salad which was absolute perfection. After the salad I tried the beef kabab. It was excellent. It comes with mashed potatoes and asparagus but the real win is the spicy chili sauce on the side of the plate. Dipping me delectable medium rare steak bites in that sauce was the highlight of the meal. Everything about this place was fantastic and I'm already planning my next visit! read more

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A great little date night. Good food, lots of options, and love music. If you're in the area it's worth a try! The duck leg was our favorite. read more

@bocahickory A snazzy Spanish-Moroccan style restaurant serving up decadent dishes in Hickory, N.C. Food: Chicken paella and Moroccan beef kebab over mashed potatoes and asparagus. 10/10 - no critique. Spiced and flavorful. For those of you that don't know, paella is a Spanish rice and vegetable dish cooked in a pan to form a crisp edge. You definitely want to try it out! The tenderloin was exceptionally cooked. Service: Food came quick, staff was relatively friendly. Ambiance: Nice, dim, decorated in an up scale, moody fashion. Classy and mature. Perfect for a nice date night. Location: Hickory. Away from the bustle of the main part of town, Boca is located in an industrial area with plenty of parking. Rating: 9.6/10 #foodreview #foodie #food #hickorync read more

Boca - Chicken Paella - Moroccan Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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Waiter was so bad. Food was excellent, but again waiter was SO bad. I actually ask him if we had done something to make him mad. NEVER have I had a waiter act like I was an inconvenience. read more

Stopped here with a colleague while teaching in NC. Food was excellent and the beers great. We were stayed for a little while as we were enjoying the waitress/bar servers conversation and I would definitely go back. This place is a local favorite by the looks of it as there were a few people there for dinner and the paella was very nice! read more

We loved the ambiance and feel of the restaurant. We had a great table. The menu had many options, and we decided to split most items. I didn't get photos of everything. Some things were awesome, while others were just ok. Let's start with the yummy... The Fig and Prosciutto Pizza was really delicious, but we think it's misnamed since there was virtually no prosciutto on the pizza. The Naan was delicious, but I wasn't a fan of their hummus. It's runny and didn't have a lot of flavor. The tiramisu was fair as was the wilted Caesar salad. The Classic Paella had very little seafood in it, and I didn't think it tasted like authentic paella. My cocktail was just ok. Our friend had a steak and loved it. We enjoyed sharing the food and visiting with our friends. Service was adequate, but we were disappointed overall in food that wasn't great. The location and ambiance are fantastic, but pay over $240 after tip for four people, we just expected a better culinary experience. read more

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Nice ambiance, service was good and the food was yummy. Definitely looking forward to trying other things on the menu. I got the chicken paella and if it wasn't as spicy as it was I would've really loved it. read more

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I love Boca! Always a very nice ambience and great service! The chicken tagine is the best around.

Boca is a great place to bring adult friends or great for a date night! The drinks and food is good and the service is very courteous and attentive. Love this restaurant! read more

Wonderful, relaxing, and quiet environment, in which you can enjoy a variety of delicious tapas. Very nice wine list, priced reasonably. Service was a little slow, but it is a very relaxed environment, certainly not the loud crowds at many of the fine restaurants these days. We thoroughly enjoyed Our meal and ability to relax. read more

LOVE all the different wine varieties! I get their Naan every time! It's amazing. Comes with three dips including hummus. The margherita pizza and chicken pasta are to die for!! If you're looking for something light but filling the tomato soup is also phenomenal! read more

Fabulous time. Fabulous food. Fabulous service. Beautiful place. We went for my husband's birthday. Thank you!

The ambiance was amazing, a quiet and beautiful atmosphere that was very relaxing however the food was quite lacking for the price. We ordered the Moroccan kebab as well as the grilled chicken pasta, both meats were terribly overcooked and chewy. However! The tapas dishes were delicious and their desert menu made sure to pick up the slack for their distasteful main dishes. Our server was polite, however I will say she was rather distant and didn't make quite an impression. Nonetheless she worked appropriately and deserved a decent tip. read more

Good service. Nice atmosphere with live music. Food mediocre at best. Pizza was terrible. Soggy, undercooked and just very poorly done. Burgers were most liked item. The only thing we ordered that we'd actually order again along with the Brussels sprouts - they were good as well. Bolognese was very greasy and not proportioned well in ratio to the pasta. Raspberry sorbet was like tasteless clumps of ice. Very strange texture. Love the concept of this place and the menu is great in theory - the food just doesn't live up to it at all sadly. We wouldn't go back. read more

We really wanted to like this place, but for the cost I just don't know. I'll start with the drinks. They were fine, not the best not the worst. Overly sweet for my taste and they were apparently out of black cherries... Service was great. No complaints there. The decor and ambience is also very nice. Unfortunately we now have to come to the food. We love a good paella even though it's hard to find even in Spain. Let me start buy saying their paella sucks. 2 clams, 2 shrimp and just extremely over peppered rice. The preparation was honestly ok, but it was pure black pepper nothing else. No saffron no other spices could come through the bucket of black pepper. I find it hard to imagine anyone tasted this before it came out. I actually like black pepper, but I don't want a paella that tastes like nothing but black pepper. We also had the grilled cesar salad. It wasn't bad, but it was not cesar dressing. It was very sweet. Not what you expect when ordering a cesar salad. It was a decent, none cesar, salad. Also had the olives. Good as olives come, would have liked more variety of olives or seasoning, roasting, something to make it stand out. Again not bad not the best. Lastly we had the grilled sausage plate. First issue is none are labeled as far as what is duck, buffalo etc. also did lot come with sauerkraut as it said on the menu. That being said they were tasty sausages, not sure if they are worth the price but they were not bad. Overall the biggest disappointment was the paella. The other items we had were ok, but ultimately the meal was not worth the over $100 price tag before tip. They have the ambiance and service to be a higher end restaurant, but the food is just not there. Better options in Hickory for the price IMO. Not sure if we will be back. read more

Boca - Paella - Moroccan Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Showed up a little after 7 on Saturday and was turned away. Was waiting to try the place for a while too bad. Hostess claimed no seats although they weren't busy and they were still accepting reservations online. Bad vibes about the whole experience probably won't try them again. read more

Never disappoints! From the excellent service from reservations to table choice for us from the greatest host in the world, Tony. The servers are all wonderful but our favorite is Sharika, who is the very best! We always dine there when visiting Hickory, especially when going to the symphony or a play! Thank you to the owners for providing such a splendid place to dine! The food is excellent, fresh and top notch! read more

One of our favorite places to eat! Awesome food & atmosphere! Load up with a table full of small plates or go the more traditional route - either way you'll leave happy. Service has been phenomenal every time we have gone. read more

This is one of my FAVORITE restaurants in Hickory!! I absolutely love the feel of the atmosphere and the food...well I haven't had anything bad yet! I also love the unique touch of the wait staff and the ability to have large group meetings. The service has always been impeccable. To save the best for last, Tony the manager is amazing. His kind and gentle smile will brighten your day so when you come through have a visit!! read more

Boca - That's me on the ground, the staff took our photo after dinner on the patio. - Moroccan Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Five stars for the service and four for the food. The Chicken Tagine was not authentic, no couscous nor served in a Tagine. It was more like a pulled chicken stew with Moroccan spices. The Chicken Paella lacked the true flavor imparted by the Andouile sausage. Everything tasted good but not the authenticity I was expecting. read more

Brussel sprouts were undercooked. Almost too undercooked to consume. The chicken paella had dry chicken and was bland The "roasted street corn" was just corn and cumin but I appreciated that it wasn't bland like the other two dishes. Server was incredible and kind but that did not make up for the serious lack of flavor, undercooked food, and price. read more

Food was great and staff was nice. Experience was so so, seemed like the crowd there (customer base) wanted the restaurant to be more exclusive to a certain class of person, which was somewhat off-putting. That's no fault of the restaurant however, and the food more than made up for the initial impression. read more

Love Boca! Love the atmosphere, the bar and the menu. One of our go-to places for date nights and special occasions.

Service was not up to par. We were sat down and forgotten. I had to ask for a server. Asked for a cocktail menu twice. Food was good, although the chicken paella was burnt on the bottom. read more

Amazing food and a great place to dine! The ambiance was relaxing and the service was great.

The food was delicious. Great atmosphere. Our waitress was great! We will definitely be going back.

I love this venue! Everything is always right whether being greeted at the door, knowing that they have the best waitstaff, pleasant surroundings, superb dining selections, etc.. read more

Excellent food and service had great entertainment as well. Staff willing to accommodate our needs

Authentic. Unique. "Homemade". Dishes are full of flavor and complimentary spices. Great selection of hard liquor, wines, etc. from the bar. Love the cool, rustic modern design. Comfortable dining options. Bar staff, Blake, is a 10 out of 5!!! Excellent service. *I was so impressed with the food I forgot to take photos. This meal we had the classic pallea and Moroccan chicken tagine, and of course naan. read more

Boca - Moroccan Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

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We had a wonderful meal here! Very much enjoyed the Naan with 3 dips, cauliflower, kebab and mushrooms! Every item arrived to the table piping hot! Service was the perfect balance of attentive without being intrusive. read more

Boca - Naan with 3 dips! - Moroccan Near Me - Hickory, North Carolina

Terrible food and service won't be going back! Waitress was a sour puss,brought appetizers out late and cold and blamed kitchen staff! read more

The food was excellent. Jeff our waiter was awesome and the service was top notch. The ambiance was very nice. With the layout and live music made for an enjoyable dinner and experience. I will definitely be back! read more

Great place to relax and enjoy wonderful drinks and even better atmosphere! Love the staff! read more

So, we used to love Boca. Went there all the time after a while we got tired of the menu as it never changied so we only went there occasionally. On one occasion we had J*** (who was usually so great) and he was rather nasty. We chalked it up to him having a bad day. We went back there tonight, didn't have a reservation so we got put into the TV room, under the big screen. J*** was our waiter. We were excited to be back since it had been a while. The menu was mostly the same which was rather disappointing. We ordered the lentils with greens and the whipped ricotta and for an entree we ordered the Paella. The food was disappointing. Nothing special on the apps and the Paella was dry, over peppered and I believe there was no saffron in there. Wish it was served with a lemon. We didn't order dessert, paid our check and when we left we passed Jose, thanked him and said goodnight. The guy didn't even respond. It was more than rude, it was insulting. So sorry that this is now just another bad restaurant that is not worth our hard earned money. read more

Outstanding food and drinks! Owner is always there and with a smile! Staff is above excellent and always knowledgeable of menu....i love that they support local business by using the towels and soaps in the bathroom. Love this place one of my favorites in Hickory! read more

Very nice tapas option in Hickory. Attentive service and some very interesting tapas options. We had goat cheese stuffed peppers, rabbit sausage, caprese, spicy green beans, and calamari. We would order them all except the beans, more sweet than spicy. The best was desert...chocolate peanut butter gelato. Wow, the best I can remember, more dark chocolate than peanut butter (which works for me). Prices are reasonable and the decor was very pleasant. Will visit again the next time we are in Hickory. read more