Hickory & Spice

Wow, this BBQ is top-notch! My wife and I tried this for the first time, and we were not disappointed! I had a double order of the brisket, and was very happy with the flavor and doneness. I could tell the pit master knew what he was doing in making that brisket!My wife had the turkey breast, and was fearful it would be to dry, but she too enjoyed her meal. The sides were terrific; overall experience was such that we would drive here anytime for BBQ, and we're not exactly local. Service was excellent as well. I asked the cashier how tender the brisket was. He didn't answer, but turned to the kitchen and returned with a sample of both the point and the flat (I prefer the point for its fat content). I ended up getting a double order of the brisket, and both were excellent!I would have no problem returning to this joint. We arrived early, and chose to take out, but the dining room was very clean and we would have no problem eating here again in the future!

This place is really good! We were in the area and were looking for a great place to eat and we found it. They were really friendly and helpful when ordering. The food was BOMB. We tried the brisket, pulled pork and turkey and they were awesome. Quick note - get the tots, you won't be disappointed.

This place was recommended by a friend, Brisket, Pulled Pork Sandwich & Turkey Was So Good. Need to go back for Ribs.Different style of sides, still good. Onion rings are mandatory to try. Fast service when not busy & Atmosphere was also good.

Freshest and tasty bbq I've ever had. Meat falls right off the bone. The side are a good size portion. The cashier and waiter were very attentive and good making recommendations. In my opinion the mac n cheese wasn't my favorite tasted very oily but everything else was delicious.

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.

Nailed itI 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.

Quick SummaryThis 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 neededFood- 5 starsTurkey- this was incredibly tender and flavorful. I would come back to get more of this on a regular basisbrisket- very good as well. Moist and tender without being too heavy or greasyribs- 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 goodOnion rings were solid and well made. Definitely not frozenBeans- these were really solid as well. A tad sweet but very goodMac and cheese- these were solid as well. But aren't as good as the beans or onion ringsService- 5 starsFast casual spot. Food arrived pretty quickly and all the servers were very helpful throughout our mealBottom LineFantastic BBQ spot without making you feel too guilty when you walk out

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.

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!

Food and service is always great! Celebrated a family's birthday last weekend and Stefano made sure we were well taken care of. If you love BBQ, this is the place to check out. Rick, the owner has a great establishment