My first visit to Hickory & Spice was very highly-anticipated and I've been wanting to eat here for almost two years, since the time I was still living in Hawaii but I'd be following the social media posts. The world champion pitmaster, Rick Mysse, is as culinarily perfectionistic and ingenious as he is kind, generous, and uplifting. The beef brisket was the material realization of perfection in the world of beef briskets... so tender, flavorful, substantive, and clean. The pulled pork was also breathtakingly perfect... meaty, clean, an amazing mouthfeel, and so packed with incredible flavor. The ranch beans had such a complex and almost addicting taste that also was filling enough at the same time. The cornbread was light-tasting (not greasy) while also having that grainy consistency we all seek when eating cornbread... and it came with a wrapped piece of awesome grass-fed salted butter! When I start making more money, I will be coming here much more frequently. The staff here is so personable, welcoming, and courteous that it was basically a utopian dining experience. The restaurant decor and layout is super clean, spacious, well-designed, and filled with life and history. Next time, I will be buying something from their merchandise section as well. Thank you for making the best BBQ in the world right here in Orange County!! read more

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Everything I've had is excellent here! Wish they were open everyday! Pork Ribs and Pork Belly Burnt Ends are my favorite. Wait staff is great. Always friendly. Atmosphere is relaxing. read more

Hickory & Spice - Pork Belly Burnt Ends! - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

I want success for them, but $30 for a few slices of brisket and terrible beans isn't going to get you there. I was shocked. The wife walked out when she saw the prices. I wanted to see what the hype was about, so I got brisket and beans. Do not recommend. read more

Always looking for bbq so checked this place out and convinced friends to try it too. Very sad that none of us were happy with our orders. The sandwiches were small burger buns that seemed old. They were dry and stale and had very little meat. For $20 it was quite a disappointment. Was so sorry I talked friends into going with us. They need to make some upgrades to what they offer. Awards are great but worth nothing when served as we got it. Too many restaurant choices and this place won't be our choice in the future. read more

We had a delicious BBQ rib plate with tots and onion rings. All were very good and the staff was pleasant. It also has good ambience. read more

Hickory & Spice - Yum! - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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Walked in for a family birthday party after hearing about this place on IG and I couldn't even rave more enough. The owner Rick heard that it was his birthday and was so sweet and came over and gave us samples of brisket and their turkey. After we finish eating, he came over to check on us and was just the sweetest very humble guy even though he's one over 350 awards and has beat every pit master on TV. We ordered the burnt ends were amazing with the world, famous onion rings, which had a sweet taste to them. The star of the day was definitely the brisket. We liked it so much that we ended up ordering a pound to go so we would have dinner for that night. It has a great family ambience, but very mom and Pop type of place where the owner just casually comes up and checks in on you make sure that you're doing well. You can tell the owner started it as a hobby because of the love that he has for barbecue and just wants people to eat good. Also, Stefano had great hospitality and was checking on us bringing us different sauces, and a taste of their turkey and making sure we were happy. We are definitely gonna be coming back and have already told lots of our friends about the place. Thank you so much Stefano and Rick you guys were awesome. See you soon! read more

Hickory & Spice - Turkey sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

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Nailed it I really liked Hickory & Spice. First thing that struck me was the menu- seemed like the perfect balance of just enough options. I ordered the brisket and my wife got pulled pork. Both were big winners. Brisket had excellent flavor and was really moist. I skipped the bbq sauce because it didn't need any help. What helps lift Hickory and Spice above other places are the sides. The problem I've seen at a lot of other bbq places is that the sides are an afterthought. Not the case here. Onion rings and tots have that fairy dust seasoning, which is phenomenal. Absolutely worth the hype. I also really enjoyed the adult Mac and Cheese. The Gouda was a nice touch. My wife liked the coleslaw and appreciated that it was clearly fresh and not runny or total mush. Everyone we interacted with nice. It was a friendly and comfortable environment. I'll be working this spot into the routine. read more

Hickory & Spice - Large brisket plate with adult Mac and cheese and tots - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Quick Summary This BBQ epitomizes OC dining: really good food without being overly greasy/heavy. The turkey is something I would come back for over and over again. Brisket and ribs were very solid as well. Onion rings and the sides were very good as well. Lots of parking available and no wait needed Food- 5 stars Turkey- this was incredibly tender and flavorful. I would come back to get more of this on a regular basis brisket- very good as well. Moist and tender without being too heavy or greasy ribs- these were really good as well. Very tender and falls off the bone. The sauce is similar to a Chinese BBQ pork, which was very good Onion rings were solid and well made. Definitely not frozen Beans- these were really solid as well. A tad sweet but very good Mac and cheese- these were solid as well. But aren't as good as the beans or onion rings Service- 5 stars Fast casual spot. Food arrived pretty quickly and all the servers were very helpful throughout our meal Bottom Line Fantastic BBQ spot without making you feel too guilty when you walk out read more

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Brisket did not have much flavor and mushy. Don't see the hype about this place. Nice and attentive staff read more

Stopped by Hickory & Spice on a Saturday morning for lunch. We parked about 10 minutes before opening and saw a few other customers waiting in their cars as it was a rainy day. Line builds up fairly fast upon opening as everyone is trying to order before items start selling out. Within 30 past opening, there was no more line. Service was impeccable throughout from ordering at the counter to dining. We were checked up on about 3x by the friendly staff. Onion Rings ($10): About 8 pieces of crispy panko battered sweet onions. Though they were delicious, I'm not sure it was worth the $10 price tag as it tastes similar to the onion ring we get from The Hat for less. Beef Brisket Plate ($22): The regular comes with 1 side which we opted for the adult mac & cheese (gouda, jack, cheddar, sundried tomato). Though it was deemed adult mac & cheese, our toddler very much so enjoyed it as well. The brisket was nice tender, not completely "fall apart" tender but good enough. Paired great with some bbq sauce and pickled onions. 1 Ib Pastrami (~$36): Pastrami is only available on select days (some weekends?) so we opted to get a full pound. Hubby is usually a huge fan of pastrami and said this was okay - nothing bad to say but nothing to rave about either. Prices for BBQ in general are pretty hefty now. Our order along with 2 drinks totaled about $110 after taxes and tip. Located in a strip plaza with plenty of other stores - we didn't have an issue finding parking close by in the shared parking lot. read more

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Absolutely fantastic! I wish I tired everything! This has to be some of the best bbq in OC by far!! The pork ribs tater tots and onion rings were absolutely phenomenal. The service was spot on fast service and checked up on us. A great bbq ambiance smells amazing and have sports games on. How this place is not packed on a Sunday is a mystery. I would wait in line for this food read more

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It's not often I disagree with my fellow Yelpers, but this is one of those times. I really wanted to like this place. The ambiance is good with an all American motif. However, the very thing they are known for is the brisket and it was dry and over seasoned. I must conclude that they pre-slice the meat way before serving it, causing it to dry out. They served the brisket without any sauces. I eventually figured out that the sauce was available by request. The tater tots and beans tasted like they added sugar to them which did not improve my overall experience. Lastly, the prices on a plate of food were not commensurate with the quantity and quality of the food offered. The servers were courteous. However, they should have assisted us with the barbecue sauce when they served the food. And for all these reasons, I will not be returning to dine here again. read more

Always down to try a new BBQ spot, found this place hidden in a mellow corner of a shopping complex in Orange. Pretty empty when we arrived, ordered at the counter and seated ourselves. Random fact but they were playing great old school music selections while we ate - puts your emotions in a good spot. Straight up excellent pork ribs. We are talking flavor packed right off the bone kind of ribs. No dry or chewy nonsense, just pure rib meat pleasure. The brisket was good, the best taste comes with their sweet BBQ sauce. Side choices: Creamed corn was surprisingly good, very tasty and went well with the meat choices. The macaroni and cheese was of almost soup consistency - no cool. A loss of $7, times 2.. Still looking forward to another visit where I will try their smoked turkey. read more

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So sad, this used to be good. Now it has unfriendly employees and dry brisket. I would not go back. Overpriced and the entire party left unsatisfied. We were the only party in there and now I know why. read more

Hickory & Spice - Very dry brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

O. M. G. This place is legit. The BBQ is spot on. Full bar, clean, quiet and friendly. read more

Hickory & Spice - Trophies! - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Great brisket sandwich with nice tender, smoked meat. And the fixings, including mango, were delicious. The service too, excellent, attentive and caring. read more

This place has always been on my go-to list and finally had a chance for a late lunch one afternoon. The space was large and pleasant and the staff were very friendly. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you order at the front desk and take a seat while the server will deliver your food. When I first saw the menu, the price caught my eyes immediately as it was pretty pricy. Usually, the plate price is with the sides but it was the meat itself and you had to order the sides separately. We ordered Beef Brisket Plate and Pulled Pork Plate both in large and "Adult" Mac-n-Cheese and Tater Tots as sides based upon Yelp review. I would say both beef brisket and pulled pork was phenomenal. I have no doubt that their other meat choices will be superb. That's how much it was incredible. I'll be honest. That one star was saved by the meats. Now for the sides, like other Yelpers mentioned, "Adult" Mac-n-Cheese is not worth it. The sauce was very soupy and the penne pasta choice was not great. It felt like it lost its identity - is it a mac-n-cheese or alfredo pasta? Either way, doesn't work and $7 is more not acceptable. Tater tots tasted tater tots just like we all know. Is it $6 worth? No. The owner was very friendly walking out of the kitchen, greeting all the guests and checking how everybody was doing, which was nice. And, the servers were wonderful doing their awesome job. The restaurant was spacious and clean. Their front desk and bar is very unique with all the stacked woods. They do have an area where they sell their BBQ sauce and other souvenir. read more

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Me and my husband are always looking for bbq spots and thank goodness we found a fantastic one!! It's in the same shopping center as Target but luckily it's tucked away in the corner so parking isn't terrible. We went on a Saturday afternoon and had no problem finding a spot and the restaurant wasn't busy so we ordered and sat down right away. They also have a bar area to sit down. The staff was very friendly and attentive. And the food... AMAZING. We ordered the turkey and brisket sandwich, packed with meat and flavor. Can't wait to go back! read more

Hickory & Spice - Turkey and brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Love this place. Ever since day one, the food has been stellar and the service extremely friendly! The weekend brisket chili is spot on. Get it before it sells out. But always get the ribs when available! read more

Hickory & Spice - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

First time trying today. Service was amazing. We had a large group and they were on top of everything. Was too eager to eat and forgot to take a some pictures, but it was AMAZING!!! Will definitely be back. Thank you Hickory & Spice. read more

What a great place to eat. The food is just simply the best hands down.! Meat falls right of the bone on the ribs. The service is second to none, from the owner to The great Estefano the waiter that gives you first class service.! He is on top of his game, making sure the ambiance is friendly thru out that restaurant.! The Sarinana Family read more

Flavor explosion!! Be prepared for a food coma. Where to begin...first I can't remember the last time I have had that DELICIOUS of onion rings. Could've eaten them all by myself. Ribs, so tender falling of the bone. Pulled pork sandwich with a side of bbq sauce (I like my bbq saucy) loved every bite. Tater tots crispy and seasoned well. Two things that weren't my jam - Mac and cheese, flavor on point, but it was very grainy. And the baked beans, not sure what the flavor was, but didn't compliment the rest of the meal. read more

Hickory & Spice - Ribs, onion rings, Mac and cheese, tater tots, pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Came here on a Friday at 1130am. I ended ordering 1lb brisket, 1/2 rack of ribs, onion rings, banana cookies n cream. My favorite was ribs. The ribs was tender, juicy, and the right amount of seasoning. The brisket was good, tender snd full of flavor. Ribs is the must order for me. The onion rings where huge and delicious. The banana cookies n cream was so good I order another one Togo lol Place had plenty of tables, clean, the service was great, the pitt master even came around and ask how my meal was. Overall great service and delicious bbq. My favorite was the ribs and the banana cookies n cream. read more

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The food was delicious the customer service top knotch. The best part was having the owner himself come to our table and making us feel at home. We drove all the way from Hemet to come have dinner there. It definitely was worth the drive. We will be back for the Dino rib next time. read more

Best bbq in OC. Excellent food, great service and TAAAAAASTY sides. Pork belly burnt ends were amazing

California BBQ is a thing! This is a lovely American BBQ joint where you order before sitting. They will give you a number for your order and deliver to your table. It's fast dining and get water on your own type of deal. We ordered full rack of pork ribs and large plate of brisket. Both meats were soooo delicious, flavorful, juicy and tender. The brisket melt in my mouth and immediately the flavors burst like fireworks. It was truly 5/5. However as soon as it got cold, it was a little bit too greasy for us. The pork ribs were delightful. It was juicy and so fragrant with grilled wood. The spice was well balanced. Just finger licking good. It cooled down well too as it was delectable even when it's cold. For sides we ordered tater tots and creamed corn. The tots were crispy and not too salty. The creamed corn was surprisingly good too as it has jalapeño to balance out the creaminess. ALSO, if you like some crispy goodness, the onion rings are superior. Crisp, onion texture, and seasoned were all amazing. I wild like to try adult Mac and cheese next time since it looks good too. In the middle of our meal, the chef came out and checked in with us so that was a nice touch. Def a place to come back again! read more

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Delicious food, great service. This place is a gem and worth going and checking it out!

Tried the Brisket, mac&cheese and onion rings this time. Onion rings were the star here....perfectly seasoned and fried! Brisket was good, but not as smoky/salty as I usually like. Texture of the point slice was good but the flat was a little dry. Mac&Cheese was underwhelming. I may have caught a batch that had sat for a minute. read more

They're beef brisket is ssssooo flavorful!! Legit do not even need any BBQ sauce! That's how flavorful it is. Let's not forget how Soft the met is... like butter! Oh my gosh! Ordered the small With one side (sweet potatoe casserole)... BOMB! Hubby got The brisket tacos and equite. He enjoyed that as well! Food was served hot and fresh. Very friendly and clean. read more

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Y'all ready for this? Some good ol' American barbecue at Hickory and Spice here in Orange! Normally, I'm not one to indulge in the great American tradition of bbq, but Josh assured me this was a hit! It's a cozy lil restaurant with some warm flair to really get you in the mood! We showed up to this place and ordered two large plates, a beef brisket plate and a pulled pork plate! They each come with two sides, so we went in with mac anc cheese, beans, tater tots, and coleslaw. This stuff is meant to be shared, so go in with your friends and dig in! The brisket was scrum-diddly-UMTIOUS, no cap! I love this stuff. Brisket is probably the hardest element of bbq to get right, but this place does it great! Great smoke ring with amazing bark. Don't let it cool down too much, though, you've gotta eat it all up soon! My winner was the pulled pork though. Smoky, saucy, succulent strands of swine swim sweetly to satisfy your salivation! Just a great overall fatty pork dish to really make you feel like it's real barbeque. The sides are no slump either, we've got rich, creamy mac, along with super crispy tater tots, and the fresh salad? Can you say 'licious? I can! It's 'licious! Okay, these beans lookin' mighty controversial, but I promise they taste so good. This is a must try. Whatchu bean doin'? Bean eatin' beans, that's for sure! Go get your barbecue fix at Hickory and Spice, and you won't regret it. Barbecue? I choose you! read more

Wow, wow, wow! Get the brisket! We saw a video claiming this brisket was better than the wildly popular OC BBQ place (presumably heritage), so we had to try for ourselves. Best brisket that we've had in OC. Beautiful savory crust on the outside. The meat itself was deeply flavorful, moist, tender, with a balance of fat and lean meat that melts in your mouth. We've had other briskets that were seasoned just as nicely but none come close to the texture of this brisket - so succulent. The sides were good, not outstanding - I think other places have better sides but the brisket here is unparalleled. For sides, we had Mac n cheese, onion rings, cole slaw, and beans. Mac n cheese was tasty. The cole slaw and beans were okay - flavors didn't stand out too much. Onion rings were fantastic - large rings with crunchy deliciously seasoned batter. The BBQ sauce was standard, though the mustard was fantastic! Honestly, the brisket was that good that it really didn't need the sauce - mostly just used the sauces for the onion rings. Also bonus compared Heritage - didn't have to wait in 1+ hour line in hot sun to get the yummy goods! We'll definitely be back for the brisket! read more

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Overrated! Service extremely slow! Came on a Sunday at 2pm and everything was "sold out" ended u getting a brisket sandwich and some pork ribs because that's all they had left on a Sunday at 2pm... waited for almost 20mins to get my food. RIDICULOUS! read more

I ordered the brisket. It was excellent. My sides were also top notch. The tatter tots and creamed corn were Awesome. I couldn't eat all the food so I brought tit home. Attendants were very attentive. Come early. On a Friday, the restaurant was packed 20 minutes after opening Worth the wait if you come any later read more

Hickory & Spice - Brisket, creamed corn & tater tots - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

Not sure why I never heard of this place before. Place was packed today when I arrived with my family just few minutes after it opened. Probably waited about 10 minutes in line to order, then took about half hour to get our food. This is definitely not the kind of place where you want to arrive hungry because you will be waiting for a while. Please note that this is not a full service restaurant. You place your order first, take a number, then take your seat. Menu is quite minimal for a BBQ place. Only has beef brisket, pork, and turkey. No chicken or any type of sausage. It has side items like tots and onion rings, which seems to be a very popular item here. Food was excellent. My wife and I generally don't like to eat BBQ, but we both loved everything we ordered. Beef Brisket Sandwich was our favorite, which came with some sauce, mango salsa, cabbage, and pickles & onions on the side. Beef was fall apart tender and was packed with flavor, even though it wasn't drenched in sauce. Pulled Pork Sandwich was just as good, although I thought the brisket had better flavor. Came with similar ingredients as the brisket sandwich, with the exception of mango salsa. Even the Corn Doggie & Tots (kids menu) was pretty good. It had nice crispy texture, and came with ketchup and honey mustard for dipping sauces. Only odd thing is I didn't smell any smoke, which is very odd for a BBQ place. read more

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Do not hesitate to order large pork ribs!! The photos don't do the ribs Justice. I wasn't convinced with the photos available on Yelp but someone commented that the meat fell off the bone. I had to see for myself and behold. The cleanest of bones! Tender and filling. I added a bit more barbecue sauce though. You get 2 sides. I chose adult Mac and cheese, and tater tots. The Mac n cheese had good texture. Okay flavor by itself but should only serve as a compliment to the ribs. I poured some bbq sauce into it. Still way better mac than expected. Better than Lucille's, better than Phil's bbq mac. They apply their own seasoning to tater tots and onion rings. From what I tasted, it was a subtle bbq seasoning. Everyone checked up on us from time to time and the grill master came out to verify if all was to our liking. 10/10 ribs read more

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REAL BBQ LOVERS: This place IS the REAL DEAL! Brisket: amazing! Smoked Turkey: amazing! Pulled Pork amazing! Spare ribs: awesome! Both BBQ sauces are tasty and spicy! Owner is a KCBS BBQ Competition Champion for 8 years! Now sharing his wonderful Q with Orange County!! Enjoy!!! read more

I tried their pork ribs and they were delicious! The meat was tender and tasted so good. I had only wished I would have ordered the bigger plate because the 3 ribs left me wanting more. read more

The place is very clean and plenty of parking. The food needed more flavor, the Mac and cheese looked like Penne Pasta with zero flavor, corn was very watery. Also if you want Beef Ribs, it's served every other Sunday, so basically call. I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

Hickory & Spice - Barbeque Near Me - Orange, California

For some excellent BBQ, you must come to Hickory and Spice. Come early before they sell out. I had the brisket plate with adult Mac and cheese. I also had a rack of ribs . I washed it down with a bottle of water. The brisket was tender and juicy. It was perfectly cooked. It passed the bend test. The pork ribs were amazing. I got a clean bite with no tug. With both meats, I tasted the meat first and the sauce on the back end. Some places will drown the meat with sauce, but not here. You're paying to enjoy the meat, not a lot of sauce. The Mac and cheese was creamy and so delicious. I could eat a whole pan of it. Best I've had in a long time. I can see how the pitmaster has won so many awards. Some are displayed in the restaurant.. He takes pride in what he serves. He visits with the dine in patrons to see how they like his food. This is some BBQ that you won't mind driving out of your way to eat. There's plenty of seating in the dining room and bar. I saw a couple of TVs with the Angels game playing. read more

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Everyone always goes for the brisket but for me the pulled pork is where it's at! I got the large plate and probably could have ate even more it was so good. Tender and juicy with the perfect amount of sauce. I chose Mac and cheese and tots as my sides. Both were delicious as well. Crispy tots-you can never go wrong there. Rich Mac n cheese...I definitely ate until I couldn't. The pit master even came out to our table to say hi! Come check it out! It's in the Target Lot off Meats. Officially a hidden gem in my book! read more

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