I was visiting friends that moved to NC recently. While they were showing me the shops in Union…read moreSquare they mentioned that they hadn't visited this restaurant yet. So we decided that we were going to give it a try. After looking at a menu and being approached by the host who gave us a brief introduction to the menu we were in for sure. We asked to sit indoors with it being a windy and somewhat humid day. They have plenty of outdoor seating with umbrellas. We were informed later by our excellent server, Ashlee that there is also seating upstairs! We forgot to take a tour! The decor is very chic, but not overly done. We were seated at a table, but booths are available as well. Even the women's restroom with chic. It needed to be picked up a bit but was nice. Our server Ashlee was excellent! Her upbeat personality and friendliness was in the 10 rating! For only being at the restaurant a couple of weeks I think her vibes will keep bringing customers back. But not only her vibes, the food is very good too! My friends were very happy with their main meal, me as well! I had the Chicken Panini and the companion (side dish) I selected was the Pan Fried Corn. Both very good! We did order shareables too! The Southwest egg rolls and the Charcuterie Board. We were very happy with both! I would definitely order them again. I ordered two alcoholic drinks. My first drink was called the Bees Knees (ginger, honey, lemon bourbon) and an Espresso Martini. Both were good. The ginger was very mild in the Bees Knees. We were quite full so we were not able to enjoy our desserts at the restaurant but did order them to go. We ordered the Crème Brûlée and Key Lime Cheesecakes to go. I enjoyed the Key Lime, a good balance of sweet and tart. A little perfumme for me but still good.The feedback on the Crème Brûlée, was ok. I didn't try it. When I visit this area again, I would surely come back here and try some other items on the menu. Parking in this area can be quite busy, especially on the weekends. We came during the weekday in July after 1pm. We had to circle a few times before we got a parking spot. Come early!

Notions was OK. I had a smash burger - the burger was decent, the side of a grit cake was…read morehorrid. It was a wedge of grits that were covered in breading and deep fried. Who possibly wants to eat deep fried breaded grits? We ordered some apps and I forget what my wife and SIL order, but the overall opinion was just OK. No one wanted to return. Plus... the inside restaurant smelled like something died in there. We ate outside, as eating inside was impossible due to the smell. When I went to use the bathroom about an hour later, they had heavily perfumed the restuarant.

Fantastic food, wonderful service. The pork chop had a perfect sear and the topping gave a really…read moregood fruity flavor. I liked that there was a separate room for large parties, it kept the overall ambiance relaxed. Dessert could have been better. It wasn't bad,it just didn't match the level of the food. We chose the apple dumplings.

Fourk is located in the Viewmount area of Hickory. They have a free parking lot across the street,…read moreand if that fills, there is street parking. The space is open with high ceilings. I admired the artwork. The cascading glass waterfall is what first caught my eye when I entered. Fourk has been open since 2015 and serves New American cuisine with a twist. I was warmly welcomed when I entered and got seated at a round booth with a great view, near the artwork that caught my eye. They really know how to treat single diners here, which is rare these days. I liked that I got the best table in the place, and that they didn't attempt to seat me at the bar. My waitress was friendly and incredibly attentive. She helped me select a mocktail while going over the daily specials, and she even brought me the dessert menu near the beginning of my meal so I could plan ahead. The menu had many options in all price ranges. You can get sandwiches, burgers, salads and more high-priced entrees like mahi mahi, scallops and filet mignon. I went with the daily special, which was the Oscar Filet Mignon. It came with hollandaise sauce and grilled shrimp, and that combination intrigued me. I had the Party Punch mocktail, but it was perfect with strawberries, basil, pineapple and ginger ale. The filet mignon and topping were also amazing. I even had room for dessert and knew I had to try the blackberry wine cake, and that didn't disappoint either. This was a very special meal for me, as it marked the first leg of my trip to finish visiting all 100 North Carolina counties. With the great atmosphere, service, and food, Fourk set the bar incredibly high for the rest of my journey. I might need to make another special trip just to dine here again. The murder mystery nights and the live music nights are an added plus.

Olde Hickory Station is a great place to gather with friends and enjoy a meal. The pizza was…read moredelicious, the drinks were tasty, and the historic building has a beautiful aesthetic that adds to the experience. The food took a little while to come out, but if you're looking for a place to sit, relax, and socialize for a while, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I stopped by Hickory Station for a quick supper. We had our dog with…read moreus, so we took advantage of their ample outdoor seating, which is one of the things we appreciate about the restaurant. Between the two of us, we've been here at least four or five times over the years, and I've also had several business lunches here. I genuinely wish I could say it's a restaurant I love and frequently recommend, because there is a lot to like about it. The building has character, the location is great, and the overall atmosphere is charming. Unfortunately, the experience itself has consistently left us underwhelmed. Every time we visit, the food is just okay--nothing particularly memorable or worth going out of your way for. The service has also been consistently slow, and on this most recent visit, that trend continued. We keep telling ourselves we won't come back, but after six to eight months we'll think, "Maybe we should give it another shot." Sadly, we usually leave feeling the same way we did the time before. What makes this especially frustrating is that the restaurant has so much potential. The setting is wonderful, and we genuinely want to like it. However, after multiple visits over several years, it feels like the food quality and service simply haven't lived up to the atmosphere. My biggest suggestion would be to focus on improving the consistency and quality of the food and to encourage the service staff to be more attentive, friendly, and proactive. A little hustle and hospitality can go a long way. At this point, there are simply too many other good dining options in the area for me to enthusiastically recommend Hickory Station. To those about to dine, I'd honestly look elsewhere.

What a wonderful restaurant!! I was recently visiting Hickory and this was the best place I ate…read more The restaurant decor is inviting and elegant, and enhances the dining experience. Even when crowded, the spacing of the tables and overall layout ensured it never got too loud. The food was amazing!! My mom and I split several tapas, my favorite was probably the green beans! Everything we had was delicious- the paella, the charred green beans, the grilled Caesar. The cocktails were also really good and worth treating yourself. If you can, save room for dessert! They had a nice range on their dessert menu and I gobbled up the pot de crème. Our waiter was fantastic, checked on us throughout the meal, kept our waters full and made sure we had what we needed. Also, the bathroom smelled AMAZING. This may seen a little silly to include, but they had some fresh lilies in there which made the whole bathroom smell lovely (and I'm sure cover all the less pleasant usual bathroom smells ). Just a really nice detail. You can tell how much thought and attention is put into this restaurant, from the food, to the layout, to the service. Everything is given real care. This place is a gem. We will absolutely be back!

Boca is one of those restaurants that I had wanted to try growing up, but I never did because it…read morewas a bit out of my price range. That said, I finally got the opportunity to try it. It is known as a Spanish and Mediterranean restaurant that serves various tapas. There is a lot of indoor seating as well as some outdoor seating, which is decorated elegantly. The ambiance is moody and somewhat upscale for a small town. I found the service to be solid. My friend and I got the Bruschetta Whipped Ricotta, Shrimp Tacos, Moroccan Chicken Tagine, Argentinian Roast Pork Sliders, and Bourbon Pecan Pie. In terms of the tapas, the Moroccan Chicken Tagine was delicious! It is a hearty and herby stew with shredded chicken that comes with this (complimentary?) warm and fluffy bread to dip into the stew. I was disappointed in the Bruschetta Whipped Ricotta. While the pita chip by itself was good, the toppings of sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke, and herbs on it made it taste more like a slice of pizza with tomato sauce. The Shrimp Tacos were decent. I could tell that the shrimp was seasoned, potentially a bit overseasoned, and the chipotle aioli gave it a good taste. The best dish for me was the Bourbon Pecan Pie. It came out piping hot but when paired with the vanilla ice cream, it melted in my mouth. I also did not find it too sweet, which was a plus for me! Overall, I think Boca is a lovely spot for a date night. The food leaves more to be wanted though, especially when basing items off of Moroccan and Spanish flavors. I am also biased coming from a larger city where this type of food was popular and readily available. I would probably rate this spot a 3.75/5 stars if I could.

What a great experience tonight at The Vintage House! Love the new menu! We tried so many dishes…read moreand I highly recommend the beef tartare! Every dish on the table was on point and the service was awesome! Well done!

I have been to this Restaurant many times, but this dinner was different. Thy had changed the…read moreentire menu to a French menus items. Everything is à la cart. The food was good but like the other times I have eaten there. The grounds and the facility was very well kept. Please change back to your old menus. I guess time will tell for them. Change back to your rolls. This used to be my favorite upscale restaurant in Hickory. Tonight's meal changed my mind. Time will tell if the French theme will work. Service was good. Disappointed Wayne

We recently stopped here on our way from NC to VA, and we think this will be part of our travel…read morerotation. We look for highly rated restaurants, close to the interstate and which have outdoor seating because we have dogs. Bringing water for our dogs and cups to take our sweet tea with us, our server, Kiersten, was the epitome of friendly southern hospitality. The barbecue was delicious. You could see the smoker on the property. What set this apart was the choice of sides. There were several sides such as green bean casserole and creamed corn that you don't see at other barbecue joints. We will definitely be back on our next trip to NC.

Tried Hugh Q's BBQ and honestly... pretty mixed experience…read more The cheese curds were hands down the highlight -- uniquely made, you could tell they were fresh, and they came out crispy and full of flavor. Easily the best thing on the table and definitely worth trying. Unfortunately, everything else just didn't live up to it. The BBQ and brisket were a letdown -- lacking flavor, not as tender as expected, and just didn't have that true smoked BBQ quality you look for, especially in a place like Hickory where the standard is high. Service and atmosphere were fine, nothing bad there, but when the main focus is the food, it just didn't deliver the way I hoped it would. Left feeling disappointed and honestly wishing I had gone somewhere else. Might give it another shot down the road, but based on this visit, it didn't live up to the hype for me.

WOW!! Now check this out, my wife and I work in Los…read moreAngeles and stay in Santa Clarita for a good portion of the year. These two cities are both in "northern Mexico aka southern California"!! When we're not working, we LIVE OUR BEST LIVES near the town of Hickory, in North Carolina. Now working and staying where we do, you know we're blessed with some of the best Mexican food on earth, but in Hickory, North Carolina?, and it was seafood too....whaaaaaaaaat?, nooooooo! way!! Yes Way!! Oh Lawd, El Vallartazo was EPIC!! We had a large order crab Nayarit, way too much for two people and a pescado guajillo & garlic red snapper, fried to perfection!! Again, way too much for two people... I need to mention the tostadas with ceviche along with the two salsas that are both served before the meal are absolutely amazing!! Now what impressed me the most was of course how fresh and delicious the food was but even more so it was the hospitality that made this evening so nice. From the time we walked in and sat down to the end of the meal when we were the only ones in the restaurant because they were actually closed at this point, but never made us feel rushed the entire experience was great!!

Our entre meals & the service was good overall! The restaurant is very nice and clean on the…read moreinside! However I wasn't a fan of the sides (the rice and beans). The beans weren't good at all & the rice was a little dry. I personally didn't like the complimentary ceviche it had a wet dog food consistency. It was free though, with a side of tostadas so I cannot complain!

We arrived at 6PM as a party of 6 for my mom's 98th birthday. Although they were very busy and…read morethere would have been a 30 minute wait indoors, it was a lovely evening and we opted to be seated outside on their patio, which was spacious and very comfortable. We were seated promptly by our waiter, TJ. My order, Asian Chicken wrap, was delicious, and was a very generous portion. I had truffle fries on the side, also delicious. Everyone agreed that their food was outstanding. TJ, our waiter, was a standout part of the experience. He was very personable, prompt, checking on our needs, refilling drinks, etc, even though his area had filled up very quickly and he had many tables to keep an eye on. No complaints on any aspect of this experience, and if you want the very best service, ask for TJ!

Oh not sure if the staff was having a bad day today, but unfortunately my husband and I did not…read morehave the best food at Backstreets at the Hickory location. For food, I ordered the fried pork chops with Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes (gravy on the side). While fried pork chops were tasty and well seasoned, the mashed potatoes had the perfect texture but lack any seasoning. Very very plain. Mac n cheese was a hard pass. I ate one noodle and quickly pushed the whole bowl to the side. I also had a margarita, usually a pretty easy drink to make. This one had a bit too much sour mix. My husband had the ribs with mashed sweet potatoes and parmesan French fries. The sweet potatoes and ribs were tasty but fries were a pass. Our server was very sweet and attentive. Overall, it was a mixed experience. Some parts were really good, others not so much. But don't let this review deter you from trying Backstreets as we love the Columbia location.