I always make a special stop at Charlie Graingers anytime I'm in the area. They are an excellent…read morechoice for allergies with gluten, dairy, or soy. They have so many options for food that are normally not available for people with allergies. I couldn't decide on one thing so I ordered several things. For starters, the chicken sandwich was huge. It was perfectly fried and very crispy. The bun held together and didn't fall apart. If you are gluten free, you know this is hard to find. I would say I only ate about 1/3 of the sandwich, it was so large. I also ordered the fried okra which were very crispy and the coating was light and flavorful. It's one on my favorite things to order here and a can't miss if you love fried okra. The next favorite was hush puppies. They reminded me of the hush puppies I used to eat growing up and have missed dearly. The prefect combination of sweet and crunchy. And i couldn't leave without trying the fried pickles. The owner, Lisa, and I were speaking about all the options and I told her how much I love having all these options. She included a small side of spicy pickles for me to try and they were even better than the regular. Not overly spicy and a great combination with breading and ranch dressing. I can't wait to return to try the fried jalapeños and the brisket. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. The prices are amazing. I ordered all of the food (6 different things) and a drink for $26. It was way more than I could eat but I wanted to try it all. The atmosphere is casual and the booths are cafeteria style for a very comfortable, southern experience.

Don't judge a book by its cover - you roll in wondering where this place is and yes it's the old…read moreHardee's or some fast food place! Order at the counter, they are very helpful answering questions - so many things I wanted to try! Service was very quick from ordering to receiving the delicious food! The vibe it's just a mom/pop - totally fits it and so worth it!

AMAZINGGG BBQ! The food was prepared fresh and it came very quickly! Wish we could have gone to see…read morethe vibes inside, but had to opt for delivery for this trip. The brisket chili was phenomenal! Had real chunks of brisket and the chili was really flavorful and had a slight kick. The onion rings were super crispy and had great seasoning! I loved trying their white sauce paired with the pulled pork! Overall, a must try in Hickory!

Today we stopped in for a quick lunch. Two of us shared the nacho plate with brisket, which was…read moreanother $4.99 on top of the price, and the other person ordered chili and salad. The nachos were not very good, the white melted cheese was salty and the amount of brisket on the chips was scant. We should have ordered the brisket sandwich or shared a rack of baby backs. The person that ordered the chili and salad di not like the chili at all. The atmosphere was nice and the music wasn't to loud. Service and wait times were in line with what we expected, actually the service was above average.

This is a fantastic place to go for lunch, dinner or a special occasion. The food is next level…read moregood. I had the prime rib with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. Excellent! I had enough left over for lunch the next day! Our server was really good, even though I know he was totally slammed. This was our first time coming here, but I imagine it is like this here every Friday night, and he knew his stuff! It was quite noisy inside. There was a band playing in addition to the crowd noise. If you aren't into that, maybe come for lunch, or on a less crowded night, but don't miss out on the food!

Amazing food Great atmosphere…read more Clean and organized Can't wait to get back for that prime The best part was the staff Friendly and professional Rare find in a world of bad food and unacceptable customer service

Great service and the burgers were great. I did ask for a double smash burger and the burgers did…read morenot seem smashed more like they tried to squish it.

Great and largeselection of burgers, chicken sandwiches, hotdogs salads wings. Good selection of…read morelocal brews and hard ciders too. Wings great, had a dry rub flavor with sauce on side. Regular fries and sweet potato fries both crispy and fresh. Good service and got seated promptly. Definitely worth it and recommend it if you're visiting or live locally!

I always turn to Yelp for restaurants when I'm traveling and I'm in unknown territory. Lately I've…read morebeen very disappointed by the restaurants I've visited. But Fresh Chef is a really great find. Sooooo glad we found it. And if I lived within 50 miles I would be here all the time. We started with an appetizer of crab and artichoke dip. It came to the table quickly which was great because we were hungry! Fresh crisp crackers and a warm tasty dip. The table next to us had a shrimp and grits bowl and all I can say is that it looked delicious. And the portions were huge. I had a black and blue salad with beef tenderloin. Best steak I've had ever! And I'm not an aficionado of blue cheese dressing this was thick and chunky and plenty of it on the side. My wife had a simple chicken salad sandwich which came with a salad and fries. I tasted it and was impressed by how flavorful it was. The menu is pretty impressive and everything I saw on other tables looked really good. I want to try it all.

Service was 5 stars. Our server was Makayla L, and she was very responsive and thoughtful. When we…read morewere ordering dessert, there were 3 in our party, but we only ordered two deserts. I mentioned my hubby and I would be sharing. When she came out with three plates, I was worried she misunderstood, but she actually had them split the cherry cobbler and ice cream. Now that was very unexpected, but I loved it. Multiple people stopped by our table to remove finished plates and check if we need anything. The place was like an upscale diner. Cloth napkins, but tvs showing football games. A nice bar, but they ran out of grenadine. No cherries in the Shirley temple. The mint julip was well made. Beef and vegetable soup was great, but the beef was burger. Not what I expected, but the fresh corn in it was wonderful. Black and blue filet salad was fantastic. They did not skimp on the blue cheese, it had spinach, kale, tomatoes and onion. My kiddo had the special, flounder and crab cakes. She said it was decent. Hubby lived the gumbo. I couldn't do 5 stars because the appetizer plates were dirty. All of them. All silverware and glasses were clean, but there was visible food residue on the appetizer plates and that's a big disappointment. To be honest, as someone who likes to eat fresh food, the salad was is definitely something I would recommend.

Sunday morning breakfast buffet. It's hard to go wrong there and Abele's did a very good job. A…read morefriendly waitress brought our carafe of coffee and while Mrs. K. decided to order from the menu, I started on the buffet. Before I was back with my first plate, her French Toast arrived. A great selection of proteins on the steam table and a nice variety of the classic breakfast offerings. A big plate of scrambled eggs and I was able to add cheese sauce and mushrooms on one side of my plate. On the other, some sausage links (very overdone) and some sliced ham (extremely salty). Lots of other high carb options available including biscuits, pancakes, French toast sticks, cheese and plain grits, home fries and tots. Something that might have been fried chicken livers and also some pieces of fried chicken. A dessert bar with banana pudding, jellos and fruits was also available. The place is clean and the service was great, clearing dirty dishes and restocking coffee creamer. A satisfying meal for sure. [Review 542 of 2026 - 4637 in North Carolina - 25724 overall]

The food was great. The service was poor at best. No refills offered until we made a point to ask…read morefor them. No friendly chatter until the bill was put down. Eye rolls when I asked for one thing. The main problem was the credit card charge. It's for credit cards only. I told the woman at the front that I was paying with a debit card. She added the credit charge. This is, according to Visa, fraudulent. I told her l what I was told, that Visa said that you can't charge a credit charge on a debit purchase. She dismissed my comment, saying "that's the way it's set up here." The reason is set up that way is that they set it up that way. Also, She pulled my check away so that I wouldn't notice the difference. I love a local business. The food is good, and it's a much loved institution here. I don't appreciate someone stealing from me. Pay cash, or eat elsewhere.