The food was very good and the service was too. The menu is kinda huge, seems like it could use an overhaul. The ice cream was fantastic. It is a bit loud and the place is so big it feels a little like a dining hall. My daughter and I enjoyed it and the prices weren't out of line. I just think I would prefer a smaller place most of the time. read more

Ensure when you take a reservation that you actually reserve tables for the group. It felt like an episode of Seinfeld. Do large groups have to sit in booths? I figured some tables pushed together would've made more sense but booths make it difficult for 11 people to talk. A drink refill would've been great. None offered throughout the while meal for 11 people. read more

Came here once with coworkers at their behest early on a weeknight. Place is huge, obviously caters to large parties, bus loads of ppl, etc. As such the atmosphere is quite sterile feeling, as much as they try to fill it up with old timey tchotchkes and relics from their history and other locations. Menu is huge, lots of options. Only thing that dwarfs their food offerings is the ice cream / shake/malt menu. I'll be honest I didn't care for the food. Got the turkey dinner with chili and sauerkraut. Turkey was drenched with gravy, on a pc of dull toast. Chili was good, sauerkraut was disappoint as it was a weird grilled and chopped way too fine. Got the pb nation ice cream which was the best thing I had there that night. One coworker got a mushroom Swiss burger and honestly that looked better than anything else. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Small pb nation - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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Casual, fast dining spot with plenty of room for larger groups. The dessert selection is impressive--the entire placemat highlights their many sundaes and treats. It gets very loud during peak hours, so conversation can be difficult. One person in our group was disappointed with the tenderloin sandwich, which tasted like a frozen, prepackaged product. read more

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Went here for dinner after the Iowa State graduation ceremony and this place was packed! We had a large group and they were able to accommodate us. It seems like many large groups flocked here after graduation. They have a waitlist which helps to get a table ahead of time. Our waitress was attentive and very accommodating for our large group. We were placed at a few tables next to each other so we were together but slightly spread apart. The menu is fairly large but offers the same things just made in different forms. Do you want a platter or a sandwich? Food was mediocre but was filling. The pork sandwich was fatty and thick and barbecue sauce helped enhance the flavor. I wouldn't race back to this place but it's a fine option for a large group. read more

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Party of 2, 7:30 PM. Beautiful entrance and foyer, great lighting and the decor was just fantastic! Our server was Zoey and she was phenomenal, bringing refills without request, lots of ranch to our Iowa liking! Food is always great here! The cheese curds were a bit overcooked, but no place is perfect. I just love this establishment and we always go here to eat when we're in town! Such a staple to Ames! Thank you! read more

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Such a unique and fun place. Our waitress was so helpful with the large menu. I got the saucy southerner sandwich which is a favorite here and it was really good. Great price for it too. Fries are very good. I loved the stain glassed chandeliers hanging in the ice cream parlor area. Very smart marketing having the extensive ice cream menu at each place setting so you have to look at it while waiting for your food! My husband and I split the streusel coffee cake sundae and it was a perfect size to split and delicious! Definitely recommend this place if you're visiting Ames. Very easy to find and they have a large parking lot. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Your grandpa's BBQ... Old, outdated but reliable. The food is very average... It lacks flavor. Seriously nothing special. It reminds me of what they would serve at a retirement facility to bring back the nostalgia. I've been here twice now, once with my partner and a second time for a work lunch. It is ab absolute massive place. They can serve busses of people at one time. The whole place reminded us of a feed lot corralling cattle in to get fattened up for winter... A huge entry and outdoor area with benches and corral lines. Individual booths that gives the feeling of feed troughs and slop. The food came out moderately quickly... but none of it was hot and it all lacked flavor. On a positive note, the servers are all kind and friendly, and you can tell they do their best. If you want great BBQ... don't come here... Go to Cornbred down the street. Or a list of other great restaurants in town. If you have a bus of people that need to be fed or want to give your grandpa a lukewarm meal that brings back nostalgia... this is your place. read more

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Not the best chicken dinner I've ever had, but you come here for the friendly service and nostalgia. Price point is decent, and make sure to get some candy on your way out. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Chicken Dinner - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

A barbecue joint that has been around since 1970! We dined in for lunch on a Friday at noon and we did not have have to wait for a table. The restaurant is vast with plenty of booth seating and old school décor. For instance, there is a candy section at the front of the restaurant with candy selling for 5 to 25 cents a piece. Our family ordered and shared the following: 1) Breaded cauliflower 2) Cheese and jalapeno hickory vegetarian burger with potato salad 3) Saucy Southerner sandwich 4) Dinner sampler with chicken, pork ribs, and smoked sausage; fries Portions are large so that was plenty of food for us to share. The vegetarian burger was a bit too salty. The saucy southerner tasted like any other pulled pork sandwich. The sauciness could have potentially masked the smoky flavors. The dinner sampler was the redeeming factor. The chicken and ribs were tender and juicy. The smoked sausage was smooth and had a good amount of spice. The service was attentive, efficient, and friendly. read more

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Great BBQ restaurant in Ames! LARGE menu to choose from, if you are GF they have a separate GF menu as well. Our server was very attentive and everything came out correctly! She checked in a lot, but not too much. read more

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Gluten free person friendly!!! Thank you to the amazing staff and manager who reassured us over and over that things would be prepared GF. The bbq is great and they have so many sundaes to choose from for dessert!! read more

Doesn't matter how busy, you still can find seating quickly. Great price points affordable and plenty to pick from. Friendly staff. Highly recommend the ice cream!!!! read more

Hickory park staff was extremely accommodating for a large party we were having. Our event is not until Friday night. So I cannot leave a review yet on the food. read more

I had the ham steak. There was just no flavor to it. Cole slaw was the driest slaw I think I have ever had. Companion had the ground beef and said it was tuff. She said the Mac and cheese was good. My fries were okay onion rings were okay. But was disappointed with main entrees read more

Food was good and so was the location. It has a huge menu that I would like to try a few more things

Ended up ordering a pick up because I was in town for my birthday. My sister and I have a gluten and dairy allergy and my mother is lactose intolerant. The online system seems to be off. We all ordered a barbecue dinner. No rolls. The gluten free menu seems to be a little outdated because it says the barbecue dinner has Texas toast and you need to say no to that, but the system will not allow you too. They actually serve the barbecue dinner with rolls not texas toast. Nor will it let you put in special instructions for a gluten or dairy allergy. I ended up calling the restaurant just to make sure they were made aware of the allergy. The system also would not allow for ice cream unless it was a sundae or shake for some reason when they have over 30 flavors. Which I thought was strange. The person I talked to was very understanding and said they would make sure the food was made safely. When we got there to pick up the food is when staff realized the lemon sorbet was out. They apologized because they were who I talked to on the phone and did not realize they were out when they talked to me. Unfortunately this is the only Dairy and Gluten free ice cream they have. Everything was packaged great! Sides were together with the salad in a separate bag so it did not get warm. Entrees in another bag. Food was delicious! Love stopping when I am in town. read more

We stopped on a Sunday evening while traveling home. We were immediately greeted at the door & quickly seated. Katie was friendly & got our drinks right away. She then took our orders and brought me my salad. I only had a couple of bites before our food came. My smoked turkey was tender & tasty & I took a couple of pieces home for lunch tomorrow. Hubby's 1/4 dark meat chicken was delicious. His mashed potatoes & Mac & cheese both disappeared. He finished with a hot fudge sundae & I had a turtle sundae. Yummy ending. Go there--be prepared to wait if you don't pick the right time!! read more

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I brought 25 people to Hickory Park. The service was great, and the food was delicious. I highly recommend.

The smoked beef sandwich actually used to be smoked brisket, you could see the smoke ring. The last few times it's not smoked at all and has the texture of the meat on a hot beef sandwich. You may have to change the wording on the menu, removing the word "smoked". read more

Have been back a few times in 12 years, both with friends and as a solo diner and have not had any issues like in my previous review. Is it the best BBQ ever? No. Is it serviceable compared to the Jethros' across the street? Yes. They've added a couple of additional BBQ sauce options, but there's no guidance as to what they are. However, some of the non-BBQ offerings, such as the appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches are stars too. I highly recommend the Wisconsin Cheese soup, fried cauliflower, and any of the many ice cream sundaes. On my most recent visit, I was told they no longer have worcestershire sauce. That makes me a sad panda--it was a good compliment to the ground beef steak. Prices also seem to have increased by about 30-40% in the last two-three years. I get it takes a lot of people to run a restaurant of this caliber, but it certainly isn't a "value" any longer. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Salted nut roll sundae - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

An Ames staple restaurant for us! Long wait to get in and a long wait for our food, but it was a busy weekend night. I've never seen every booth full before, but tonight it was! Our server was great and got us everything we needed. We had our regular cheese curds, bacon cheese hickory burger, and then tried a new ice cream: chocolate chip cookie dough sundae! All very good, I loved the marshmallow on the sundae. read more

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When you pay almost 10 bucks for a plain hot dog or Frank as they call them, you expect it to be good. It was dried up when I received it. Only condiments they have is yellow mustard and relish. I can get a much better dog at Costco for 1.50 and it comes with a soft drink! Oh and you can get chopped onions at Costco. It's unimaginable a restaurant of Hickory Parks size doesn't have onions. If the food was as good as the service, I'd probably go back. Hickory Parks sure changed for the worst, since it's been sold read more

We are repeat offenders to this place. Every couple of months. The food and service is great. Employees go above and beyond to help. Even on busy days they get you thru the line in a timely manner and prices are in the right ballpark. Can't go wrong. read more

Busy concert night. The "Add yourself to the Waitlist" is a great addition!! In and out quickly and very nice server.

Amazing food!! Great customer service!! Super cool old time feel! Perfect place to celebrate any occasion read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

If you're not ordering a dessert off their massive dessert menu what are you even doing with your life?

Great food, great price, great staff. An Ames classic. Always worth the wait -- the Saucy Southerner is your best bet!

The service and food were exceptional. This was a great place to host my Dad's 95th birthday. He also loved the banana split and staff serenading him. Thanks for making this a birthday to treasure! read more

Service was great, the young guy helping us was super attentive and very easygoing. Our food came out quick and everything was made correctly. All their food is delicious, but the ribs are insane. They just fall right off the bone. I didn't get pics of our dessert but we all tried some ice cream, they have an incredibly large amount of options for you to try. The place is huge, clean, there is a self service candy counter when you walk in which I love. My only complaint is that the booths are wooden and flat. It's like sitting on a rock. So if you have back pain, or struggle sitting on hard surfaces the booths will not be comfy at all. Not sure they have other options for seating unfortunately. read more

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Never fails to disappoint! They were extremely busy because of a concert and our food still came out hot and fresh. They forgot to put a burger in and the manager came over and apologized and said that the burger was on them! Very good customer service read more

A family member's birthday dinner was the occasion, and my meal was its usual terrific, but the Banana Split #2 option elevated the whole experience another notch, as it was amazing. read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Been going there for over 43 years - through a few transformations. Still a great place to eat. Lots of energy there.

Always great. Fast service and excellent food and desserts. Whenever I'm in town this place is a must stop location for me.

Great food with a lot of choices. Prices have gone up which is a bummer. Able to seat very large groups but you may have to wait a while. It's alway super busy. read more

Told it was a 30/35 minute wait but was only 20 minutes. Food came quickly also and we enjoyed it. Turkey was the best, then the pork, not crazy about the chicken. read more

Big place and lots of space in their booths. We had a big group of 10 or 15 and they accommodated us well and were friendly splitting the bill up for us. I had the French Dip and it was pretty good. The meat was like smoked beef brisket. My side was green beans and they were delicious. Husband had ribs and sausage and liked it and he's a bit of a critic! Sides weren't great salad was cheap as you could get, mashed potatoes and gravy are instant. Huge menu for ice cream and all enjoyed, it was nice and refreshing. read more

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We stopped at Hickory Park for a late lunch/early dinner. We were surprised at how large it is! Even better, they have extensive western decoration across the entire restaurant, giving you plenty to look at while you decide on dinner. So, the menu is also huge. While they carry the basic bbq meats (beef, pork, chicken, sausage), they offer them in n all manners of amount and combinations. As such, the menu can be a bit overwhelming. My wife sticks to the basics, so a 1/4 chicken with sides was fine for her. I had a combination of beef, chicken, and sausage. The portions were fine. The sausage is actually very large, so no complaints there. However, while the food was hot and ready very quickly, it was a little underwhelming. It's mostly tender, but it lacks seasoning. It was better than some bbq, but it won't rank in a top ten list. Service was very good. The young lady was prompt, professional, and a hoot. She sold us on their ice cream sundaes, which were great. Locals seem to like the place and I see why. Great place for a large group of family. read more

Not sure what people are thinking with the 4 & 5 star reviews? Honestly I'm stretching at a 2 star rating. If you've never made your own bbq chicken or ribs?? The chicken was obviously sitting around under a heat lamp for hours , the ribs they were not great... could get precooked ribs cold from a grocery store and heat up at home in the microwave and they would surpass ribs here. I'd say if you have kids this would be a hit. But if you are a foodie and enjoy good bbq , then I'd pass for the prices and quality here. First impression when the iceberg side salad come out was "Hmm this isn't a good indicator" . Sides that we had were open a can/bag and pour it out style. A hard pass here next time we are in the area. read more

I've always loved Hickory Park since my college days. We had no wait, a great waitress, and delicious food! read more

Hickory Park Restaurant Co. - Chef's Salad - American Near Me - Ames, Iowa