Always very dependable - One of best in Greater Metropolitan Area. We arrived just prior to opening, and observed 4-5 wait staff scurrying to enter back door. We like that front window is filled with ribs and chickens. Caveat: This is a very small property, and take care to arrive early. Clearly the well trained staff aims to please. Take care with small parking lot - lots of folks are using it as a short cut. Great ribs, and we recommend. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

The food was great The waitress was also great she kept asking if we needed anything Everything and everybody was super nice read more

Inside is a bit small but quaint and intimate I got a hand cut fillet with hot potato and salad. The rolls were really good! The rye was not too spiced and salt adds a nice touch. Always a fan of white breads, so the bagels and bread were a huge success The salad was very flavorful because of the loaded dressing. Would get again as a side The hot potato was just a potato. I didn't load it with anything, so it was as good as a baked potato can be The steak was not the best steak in Dayton, but was still enjoyable. Would go back again, but would prioritize other steakhouses in the area for a fancy meal. read more

We visited Hickory BBQ on Brown Street on Sunday evening, June 14, 2026. While the service was good; the meal was not. The full rack of ribs was tough and difficult to separate, with very little meat on the bones. It is a shame they don't rate pork like beef (select, choice, prime). Many restaurants buy poor quality ribs and hope the public does not care. There was also an overpowering vinegar odor that masked the barbecue flavor, which tells me they are trying to tenderize tough, sinewy tissue. The fish dinner was also a letdown; the two pieces were identical triangular shapes, giving the impression of processed, pre-packaged frozen fare. We won't go back. read more

Food is good though don't recommend the cabbage rolls. But meat and chicken great. They are always busy so don't expect Servers to have time to chit chat. read more

The simple fact that I left the scathing review six months ago and management never reached out to me nor made a comment on this site regarding my one star review of this place speaks volumes for even more of a reason for you to stay away Ironically, since my visit last winter, I've mentioned it to a handful of people who live locally who obviously written off this restaurant in the past 20 or 30 years due to the terrible quality of food that comes out of the kitchen and they were shocked that I was stupid enough to patronize this restaurant expecting a good meal Clearly management has no idea what's going on in the kitchen nor out in the dining area and obviously they could care less about a dissatisfied customer because it's obvious that black luster service and poor quality food is the norm here read more

This place is about is old school as you can get. I for one really liked the atmosphere and it was like a blast from the past. However, it might have been a bad night as the food was just so-so. My ribs were a bit tough and unseasoned but ok. My wife got the bbq half chicken which was much better than mine. I did like the server and her attentiveness and will be back to try it again. read more

Great pulled pork and sides. Quick take out service, easy access. Price is fair for quality.

Love this business to the core of me & my family! Must have every couple weeks for decades!

This is one of the best places in Dayton. A rich history, fabulous service and wonderful food at an amazing price. It's an old school, no nonsense place for a great dining experience. read more

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Love the bbq!!!! Best in town. Cool old school atmosphere. The salad dressing is amazing.

The ribs are always the same and perfect. The house salad dressing is the best in town. Most recently did carry out and it was easy and quick. read more

One of my favorite old school bar / restaurants in Dayton. Been coming here for 20+ years whenever we are in town - best BBQ chicken and sides and ice cold martins at the bar. Love love love! read more

Nice little spot for dinner. If you want steak, but don't want to pay thru the nose for it, this is your spot. I had the bbq ribs and they were wonderful; nice smoky flavor. Will be back for sure. read more

Great food. The service was quick and efficient. Love the European vibes. The price is perfect for the amount of food they provide. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Menu - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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This has become a regular stop for us on our annual Dayton trips to visit the Alma Mater. Very old fashioned and often crowded so you know it's going to be good. I went with the BBQ half chicken and hash browns. Another guest in our party had the full slab of ribs and said they were among the best ever. I believe they do take reservations but we got in without one at 6pm on a Friday, though most tables were full. Can't wait to be back! read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - the menu - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

I was looking forward to their rack of ribs. When they came out I took one bite and knew that they were way over cooked. The waitress was very pleasant when I told her the ribs were over cooked. She asked me if I would like something else. Thinking the chicken had to be good so I ordered that. The rest of my party was doing fine with there meals. After a few few minutes. My new order comes out. It was half a chicken my mouth was watering because it looked good. Again cutting into the beast. One bite an again way over cooked. So I asked for a to go box. Took the chicken home and thru it into the trash. I would like to say the baked potato an green beans were good. I think I will not be going there any time soon. read more

I came to this restaurant bc my gf recommend. I was concerned about the lack of reviews or recent reviews I was relieved once I got there. It's a local place and older crowd that frequents this establishment so it made sense to me there wasn't a lot of reviews. Arrived at 5 pm to standing room only in the waiting area. They said it would be 1 hour wait. Luckily found a seat at the bar. 15 minutes after arriving got a table. Waitress was friendly and efficient. Brought bread and drinks quickly. Gf had rack of ribs with Tossed salad and house dressing. She enjoyed it very much. Ribs might have been slightly over cooked but sauce was very good. I had the king cut New York strip. It was well prepared had good flavor. Again slightly over cooked but it was fine. The baked potato with butter and sour cream was excellent. I enjoyed the house dressing on the tossed salad as well. read more

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The food is always delicious! The waitresses are friendly and polite! It's not a big place but I love the lights that hang through out the restaurant. Very cozy read more

Service was great, food bland and dry. Also they have Christmas light and garland hanging in June. Ribs tasted only of apple cider vinegar, pork chops made me dehydrated. Good candidate for Gordon Ramsey to come in and fix it. read more

Barbecue is usually top of my list when looking for something to eat, but somehow I missed this place. I had first intended to go to Bourbon Street but it was too busy. My second choice, Ginger and Spice Asian, was closed. I turned around, and like a beacon in the dark there was a sign saying "BBQ." Thankfully it was open, and not crowded, at 1 on a weekday. It was dark inside, an old-school bar-restaurant atmosphere. Friendly service, an interesting menu, and you know I got ribs. Just the rib sampler, though I almost got more. I noticed a cabbage roll on the menu, and I don't see them very often so I got that too. The ribs were good, not great. Not much flavor in the meat; more the style with baked- or grilled-on sauce. It was a good sauce, and a nice version of this style, but not really my thing. Still, I polished them off because I was hungry. The cabbage roll was almost exactly like my mom's. I always hope for a little more seasoning in the filling, from mom and at restaurants, and that was the case here. But, it was nicely, subtly flavored. Again, good not great. The prices are a bit high for what you get, but it's not bad, and there is plenty of other stuff on the menu that is interesting. Surprise BBQ is always a good thing, and this was a pleasant surprise. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Cabbage roll, with rib sampler. - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Family tradition I've grown up at Hickory Bar-B Que on Brown street, many a family birthday, special occasion and holiday spent at the Hickory. Their drinks are reasonably priced and now they're serving their own house wines with generous pours. You have to have the house salad with the crumbled blue cheese on top. The breadbasket served with the salad has the mini-bagels and their rye bread is good or you can ask for a a basket just of the rye bread. Their filet is the best steak. We celebrated my dad's 71st birthday this evening. He enjoys their huge t-bone. Whenever you're in Dayton, OH you won't be disappointed with a visit to Hickory on Brown street. read more

Pros: Friendly enough wait staff Clean restaurant Clean restroom Tasteful decor The Hungarian cabbage rolls were very good. Cons All of our steaks over cooked Home dressings all subpar Food is mediocre Bread costs extra A mediocre restaurant with mediocre prices, come here if your looking for an okay dining experience. read more

The tradition continues. Good food, Good service at Good price points. There is a reason this restaurant has such a loyal following.

This isn't the same recipe from when I was a kid! The barbecue used to be so delicious. This was the first time we had had it in a while. The ribs were very tough and had no flavoring. The barbecue sauce was more of a spicy tangy ketchup moreso than a barbecue. We ordered slabs of ribs and we were not happy. The baked potato was still hard on the inside and the bread was cold. The cabbage roll and coleslaw wasn't to our liking either. The service was nice and the environment created a nice ambiance for an evening date or dinner. Maybe someone else will enjoy it a lot more but for us, not so much. read more

Super freindly owner and staff withh great customer service. Landmark business. Delicious special: burger with pulled pork topping and fresh, ungreasy onion straws. Nice crowd. Food was excellent. This will become a srandard stop for me. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Manager, whose grandparents founded the place in 1962. What does almost 30 years say about quality and commitment? - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Six of us had dinner Friday, the chicken was delicious,the pork chops were great,but their cabbage rolls were terrible, cabbage was inedible, filling was mostly Rice,as a person who grew up on cabbage rolls, Hungarian grandmother, I know good cabbage rolls.we had a great waitress but she was stressed thin and wasn't as attentive as she could have been. read more

I grew up here and we use to love coming to Old Hickory BBQ back in the 70's/80's! The 1/2 BBQ chicken dinner was awesome and only $4.95! I moved to Texas in 82 but come back to visit family. I'm in town now and decided to come for dinner tonight thinking about how good it use to be! Well, it's not good anymore! I got the 1/2 BBQ chicken dinner, like i always use to enjoy and it was terrible! It was so dry and what did they do to their sauce?? It smelled different the minute she set it in front of me! It was not good, and now $17.95! I picked at it, and thought maybe the dark meat would be a little juicy, but it wasn't at all! So, i enjoyed the baked potato and ate the salad. It was so different than it use to be that I asked the waitress if it changed owners! She said it's a family business and the kids took it over!! When I said it wasn't the same, she blamed it on Covid! All I can say is that the kids are not following their parents recipes! The service was good, but I still have indigestion! I will never go their again when I'm back in town! Very disappointed! read more

This is an old restaurant but it is truly very good! Any steak you choose is made perfect! Filet mignon is made perfect for me and husband gets the porter house or the T-Bone. House dressing is very good. Service is always the best. Steak meal is about $40 a person not including drinks - well worth it! Make reservations and they actually hold your table open so there is no waiting when you arrive. Recommend! read more

The atmosphere is cozy and well lit. The menu is fantastic especially the BBQ ribs! Top 5 in quality of Steaks in the Dayton area ! The Staff is professional and well supervised. The fact you can make a reservation easily in advance is a plus. read more

Always great service and good food. Sunday at 3 pm is our favorite time. Chopped sirloin with onions medium rare is awesome.

Food is consistently delicious and service excellent! We recommend calling ahead for seating, it's a popular place!

We drove two hours to eat there on Monday afterFathers Day because that's what my husband wanted for Father's Day, knowing Sunday would be busy. The internet says they open at 2:00. We were there at 2:05 and locked. Called and called, no one answered. Someone comes out the side door and says they don't open until 3, That is 4 hr round trip for nothing. Not pleased with the time on the internet and then what we were told and then no one will even answer the phone to tell you. Had heard their quality had gone down quite a bit but I know their service has. read more

After ordering we were brought out a basket of bread. The pumpernickel bread was really salty. BBQ chicken dinner was okay. Not anything to write home about or even a long review about. Good service with a smile. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Lots of bread. Pumpernickel bread was really salty. Mini bagels were cute and a nice touch. - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Service was excellent on Thursday at 3:00 pm. Baked potatoes were great. 4 guests, porterhouse steak was excellent, chicken was good, cabbage rolls were just so so. Ribs were ok not as good as we've had other places. Salad dressings are good. Also they bring a basket of bread variety to table. Overall, too pricey for us to just be ok. read more

Great place that's been around forever! Locally owned which makes it even better. Known for their bbq but I got the salmon which was very good! The rye bread is to die for too. They have a nice small bar and tvs. You can eat from the full menu at bar or dining room. It's a must if you're visiting Dayton or your kid at University of Dayton. read more

We came all the way from atlanta just to eat at the Hickory Bar-B-Que! It's our favorite steakhouse. Always consistently good. We went early in the afternoon on a Friday. Had NY strips which were perfectly prepared by the long time grill master at Hickory. We enjoyed meeting the new manager owner Gary who checked on us. Our server was also super nice and attentive. We have been going to this restaurant since college 40 years ago. Remains consistently good with many homemade items. If you're looking for a great steakhouse we Highly recommend. read more

Mid west dining at its best. Not to be missed if in Downtown Dayton . Great cocktails. Cold beer , good steaks. Ribs are what they are good at. Sauce is Dayton all the way --- salty dark rye read , garlic dressing on the salad. Solid comfort food. Been coming here for 40plus years read more

First time going in. I was a bit confused. The host seemed to fe as well. The sales lady who took my order was extremely sweet and gave me all the time I needed to make my decision. I settled on the pulled pork sandwich special. I have no regrets. I'll definitely be back as the meat was tender and it was extremely affordable. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

A group (6 of us) when to Hickory Bar-B-Que last night and everything about the dinner was awful. The aged steak was flat and tasteless, the cabbage rolls were bland, the ribs were dry and tough, Cole slaw was was not edible, the blue cheese dressing looked and tasted like cottage cheese. We will not be back. read more

Hickory Bar-B Que - Steakhouses Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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