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    Hickory River Smokehouse - Champaign

    3.9 (26 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Hickory River Smokehouse - Champaign Photos

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    HICKORY RIVER SMOKEHOUSE - CHAMPAIGN ATMOSPHERE

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    the entrance to the restaurant
    Molly M.

    Clean little bbq place in Champaign. Busy drive thru so we decided to eat in the dining room. Beef brisket & pulled pork sandwiches were great. The manager came out to collect the trays & ask how we liked the food. Good communication with your clientele! Thanks for asking!

    Smoked Turkey and a salad!! And couldn't resist the homemade sweet cornbread!!

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    6 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    Shane T.

    Bob, thanks for giving us a try! We hope to see you back again soon.

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    6 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    Shane T.

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    3 years ago

    Great place in Mahomet for a quick bite or sit down meal. The loaded nachos are my fave for something quick!

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    Mike M.

    Thank you, Molly! We hope to see you back soon.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food and service definitely 5. restaurant would recommend love it beeper for when you're food is ready. Good environment.

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    3 years ago

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    Mike M.

    We are happy to see you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Meat done just right, sauce was excellent, it's also the only place in Illinois that does the vinegar cole slaw the way I like it.

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    Mike M.

    Francis, thank you! Come back any time!

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    3 years ago

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    Mike M.

    We appreciate your kind words! Come back again and see us!

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food, service, and environment. Always fresh and great taste. Our favorite place for BBQ!

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    Mike M.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food at a fair price. Service was good as always. New location is super clean with ample parking

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    Mike M.

    Thank you, Gary!

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Mike M.

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    3 years ago

    We happened upon this restaurant driving through Illinois. It was the best BBQ and such friendly people. Highly recommend!

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    Mike M.

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    4 years ago

    Our sandwiches were great. Restaurant looked clean and welcoming. Staff was pleasant and helpful.

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    4 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Hickory River Smokehouse - Champaign

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    Carrol Lou's Smokehouse - Pretzel Q

    Carrol Lou's Smokehouse

    4.3(89 reviews)
    36.7 mi
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    Interesting place. Definitely worth our stop passing through here. It's a barbecue smokehouse in…read moresomeone's actual house! They do a bustling business. The food is actually very good. They put together some really well crafted sandwiches that we felt to have been a reflection of the care of putting together each recipe. The fries were really good, nice, crispy, seasoned well and HOT! The Cole Slaw was excellent on the sandwiches, but as a stand alone side, not so great, just average. It's more than just casual. When we were there, and I assume this to be the usual, there were no non-disposable utensils or plates. The place is cramped, and only one table (2 two-seaters pushed together. Everything else were booths, and on the small side to accommodate the limited space no doubt. The kitchen is right at the tables, and the entire place is a bit (actually a lot) crowded. They do a bustling take out business though. That was evident. So I think that would be reflective of how good the food is. The reviewer who gave it one dollar sign to reflect price, failed us. Three of us, three sandwiches, two fries and one cole slaw, with three small fountain drinks, yet it was over $60. I cannot give my usual highly descriptive, wifey assisted review, but she's with me writing this. We've already left and I got no pictures! Just one of those days where you're in a rush.

    Loved the small town feel of this place. Wish it was bigger but it would take away to the local…read morefeel. Staff was super friendly and provided suggestions on the meats. The wings were amazing! Highly recommend them. I tried the peach bourbon beans and they were good but very sweet.

    Photos
    Carrol Lou's Smokehouse - Pulled pork sandwich

    Pulled pork sandwich

    Carrol Lou's Smokehouse
    Carrol Lou's Smokehouse - Half rack of ribs with peach Bourbon beans, jalepeno cornbread, and brisket mac and cheese

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    Half rack of ribs with peach Bourbon beans, jalepeno cornbread, and brisket mac and cheese

    Smokehouse - Store Front

    Smokehouse

    3.5(6 reviews)
    45.9 mi
    $$

    This place closed years ago - maybe closed 6 years ago . The location was in the ice rink in…read moredowntown Bloomington . It was good but hadn't been open for many years

    I almost don't want to write a review because I want to be selfish and keep this little jewel all…read moreto myself, however that wouldn't be right for the folks that own and operate this most awesome BBQ buffet lunch. This little gem is located in the US Cellular Coliseum in downtown Bloomington and is only open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 AM to 2 PM. If you attend sporting events or concerts, you've seen the restaurant in the end zone with the glass walls. Well that's the location. You need to park on the IBC side of the coliseum and enter the door on the side near section 113. I've only been twice and both times they've featured smoked: Brisket (freakin tender and most awesome) and pulled pork. They rotate another meat each day: Ribs, Tips, Chicken Quarters, Wings (one or two of these). Sometimes they have other sides like the most awesome BBQ Hash I've ever tasted. It had a mixture of all their BBQ meats diced into a hash like corned beef hash. It was very good. They have all the normal sides like: fried okra, salad bar, green beans, baked beans, mac & cheeses and many others (some rotated). They have chili and corn bread, sometimes pizza, sometimes cheese quesadillas. Add a sweet tea and I think the price is around $11 not counting tip. They get pretty packed and are normally short handed on the wait staff (I think they only have one person serving but a group cooking and refilling the trays). Just grab a table and help yourself and when the waitress makes it over she'll take care of the drink order. I plan to make this a regular stop for lunch when I'm in town.

    Photos
    Smokehouse - Pic of the BBQ BUFFET!

    Pic of the BBQ BUFFET!

    Smokehouse - Store Front

    Store Front

    Smokehouse - Pic of the bar

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    Pic of the bar

    Hickory River Smokehouse - Peoria - Our most popular combo plate!

    Hickory River Smokehouse - Peoria

    3.6(106 reviews)
    86.7 mi
    $

    Typically really enjoy this place. I thought I would try the ribs tonight because I usually just…read moreget turkey and sausage. Not sure if I'll get the ribs again. The size of these ribs are extremely small. I definitely got the end of the rack and it's pretty disappointing to be honest considering This meal for just one with two sides two meats a dessert and drink came to $38. Disappointing tonight for sure!

    Review Visit: March 20th, 2019…read more Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. This fire was caused by barbecue sauce mixed with jalapenos. On a dreary and boring day off from work, I asked my mom out to lunch. Since she loves BBQ, I asked if she wanted to come here. Not long after that, the small lunch grew to include my sister and niece as they were also free and hungry. We pulled up shortly after they opened and must've been the first customers there as the place was empty. Upon entering, we were greeted by one of the chefs and he asked us if it were our first time there, as we had the clueless look on our face on how to order. He told us the layout is similar to a cafeteria. You order your main meal with him and then you slide down and get your sides/extras from the second chef. At the end of that is the cashier. I have to say that at every stop, the staff was patient and courteous to us ordering our food. The menu is posted behind the food counter, so you can peruse it while deciding what you want to eat. Once you are done paying, you carry your food to a table of your choice. If you ordered wings or anything that needed cooked, they will bring it out to your table. We all sat down and immediately dug in to our food. I got up to get ketchup for my fries and noticed they had jalapenos available. So, I snagged some of those for my pulled pork sandwich. That was a mistake but a good one. Hot hot hot! The first bite was the fire being started. By the 3rd or 4th bite, my mouth was ablaze. Between the jalapenos and the mixed bbq sauce (combination of hot and mild, I believe), my sister asked if I needed the fire department. I politely declined as I downed my soda and took some deep breaths to extinguish the five-alarm fire in my mouth. My mom got the 'Cue Shoe, which is their version of a horseshoe. She was in love after the first bite. My niece got some mild barbecue wings and chili fries. She didn't seem too excited about the wings until she got some hot sauce to dip them in. My sister got one of the turkey sandwiches and also fell in love after the first bite. She was so impressed that she wants to come back for dinner on her birthday. Price-wise, this place is cheap for the quality you get. My meal was $9 for a sandwich, two sides, and a drink. If you want, you can order just the a sandwich for as little as $4.99. I've been to a few barbecue places and this one wins on both price and quality. As for the restaurant itself, it has a heavy Texas theme. Texas license plates all over the walls. Wood floors, walls, and ceilings. Southern hospitality from the staff. On the back wall, they had one of the coolest things I've seen in awhile. A mosaic made of beer bottle caps. You can see it in the gallery below. All-in-all, it was a great way to spend the afternoon with the family. We left with full bellies and smiles on our faces. Those smiles may be hidden behind the barbecue sauce left on our cheeks from the food.

    Photos
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    Hickory River Smokehouse - Peoria - Chopped Beef Dinner!

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    Hickory River Smokehouse - Champaign - smokehouse - Updated May 2026

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