Hickory Hollow Barbeque

Food took to long and when it came it was cold. I’m assuming it was sitting around waiting for the server. This place used to be good don’t know what happened. Oh ya the belly ache me and the wife got a half hour later :(We wont be back.

Public service announcement — food made husband, 15 month old, and myself ILL. We have all three had varying levels of digestive issues/​nausea since coming home. The North Carolina pork was cold, watery, and mushy with a foul taste. I had to send it back. I also didn’t like that all the wait staff stood outside the open kitchen door and seemed to be hovering all the time. The view I had of the kitchen and dishwashing area was annoying too. Looked dirty back there. Corn Fritters are good but not worth to rest of the bad food
We had high hopes for this place but will never return. The service was ok but weird.

If I could give half a star I would. Some of the worst barbecue I’ve ever had! I had a pork platter and my husband had a pork sandwich. I really believe these people boil their meat and then slop one of two mediocre sauces on top and call it barbecue! Yuck! Least offending item on my plate was the corn fritter. The only reason I think they are popular is because it’s cheap. I LOVE a good inexpensive meal. This wasn’t even decent.

Very tasty BBQ! Good variety of different types of foods Casual indoor or outdoor seating. I would go again.

Good southern home cooking. Had great service. We tried the pulled Carolina BBQ pork & smoked turkey. The yam patties were like dessert! Great hush puppies & Cole slaw too!

One of my favorite places to go! They have North Carolina BBQ! Cash only but so worth it! People are friendly!

Very good BBQ place. Easily missed from the road — had to do a U-​turn since I missed it the first time. Plain looking interior but the food makes up for it.
Cash Only (but they do have ATM onsite)
Gravel parking area.
Be prepared to wait if you come during a busy time — it’s a small place with not a lot of tables.
Had the NC Pulled Pork platter which comes with 2 gigantic corn fritters (large hushpuppies that have corn in them) and 2 sides. The mac ‘n cheese was good /​homemade (definitely not from a box). I also had the fried okra which I thought was okay. If you need more BBQ sauce for your meat — you can ask for more and they have a sweet sauce and a spicy sauce.
Overall, I would recommend giving this place a try. It’s a well kept secret that only the locals know about and it’s delicious!

Great local spot! Loved the ambiance. Pulled pork sandwich — nc style — was super good! Sides were good, not amazing, but really solid. Macaroni salad… Not so much.

Real fall off the bone ribs slow roasted barbecue sauce was excellent coleslaw was simple but good service service was excellent pulled pork was great corn fritters real good would go back again and again prices for lunch menu we’re great next time I can’t wait to try prime rib

Changing my review. Went for lunch after swearing I would not go back. Pork on shank is phenomenal.
Did not realize they had such an amazing beer selection.

Excellent selection of soul food. So many different options, you can’t go wrong with Hickory Hollow. I have been there plenty of times and always come out completely filled and satisfied with the food and service.

Just ok nothing special except for the Brunswick stew which is five star plus!!! They have about 25 sides and the best thing besides the stew was the fried shrimp. All the barbecue is too dry for my taste.

Outstanding barbecue! First time we have eaten here, will NOT be the last. Service was very friendly and timely. Food was delicious! What more could you ask for with BBQ? Great atmosphere, laid back and relaxing. highly recommend!

Ordered take out, since they had 45 minute wait. I ordered at 6:05, was advised to pick up my order in 25 minutes. I arrived at 6:30, and waited 10 minutes while the hostess was seating people before she acknowledged my presence. I realize she was busy, but a «I’ll be right with you» would have been, at the least, polite instead of ignoring me. Talk about unprofessional. After paying and again being told nothing, I sat and waited until 7, when I asked how much longer it would be, she went into the kitchen & immediately returned with my order, which obviously had been sitting there since 6:30!
The food: cold, tasteless. The order: wrong. Tried to call: busy. Paid: cash, leaving no recourse. Ellenton is a one horse town with no restaurant other than fast food, and this place is resting on a 10 yr old review in USA today. I should have realized not to go in, as when I pulled into the parking lot, there was a pen of goats and the rear exterior was filled with garbage. Next time I want BBQ I’ll make the drive to Venice and go to Goldrush BBQ. My order was not small, and was my family’s Saturday night treat. Disgusting.

Ribs where good, tender and flavorful, the BBQ chicken was dry.
Good place for ribs.
Service was good.

Visited the Hollow again tonight. Ordered the fried green bean appetizer. It was perfect, served with ranch and horseradish dips. The entrée was the pork rib platter with sides of creamy spinach and fried okra. All was served hot, fresh and tasty. The ribs are smoked for 5 hours and then grilled. This way they have a charred outer coating and juicy meat below. The meat does fall off the bone — you have to be careful when you pick a rib up or all you are holding is a bone. The BBQ sauce is home made. It is a sweet NC recipe. Tonight was a 5 star dining event.

The meal was excellent. I ordered the Carolina style pulled pork jumbo meal, with fried okra and green beans. The meat was seasoned perfectly and it was delicious. The corn fritters are also very good. The only reason I didn’t give a full 5 stars was the service. Out waitress seemed to be annoyed with something. I will eat here again for sure.

Delicious. And great prices!!! The ribs were so tender they were falling apart. So so good. I mixed the spicy and sweet sauces together!!! The squash and cheese was delicious I wish I got 2 orders of that.
Coleslaw was simple but I liked it that way with the yummy bbq sauce. Corn fritters were good. We drove 30 minutes from the beach house and it was worth it!!!
We ordered to go so I cannot rate wait staff or service, cleanliness of actual dining area or bathrooms.

Now THIS is BBQ!!!
I’ve been all over the east coast looking for good BBQ places that cook it up the way they believe in and don’t cater to dumbed-​down tastes in order to gain popularity and I sincerely believe this is one of the best of them. They’re right off the I-​75 exit for 301 to Ellenton and have been here about 40 years. I’d taken this exit many times in about 25 of those 40 years (sad to date myself) and had driven right past it until I read a great review on another website. Had to go there! When I told my local coworkers where I was going, I could see the drool start to form in their mouths.
Locals know this place and as a frequent visitor to this area for decades, I feel like a traitor for revealing it. Yet, the Unilocal Code perseveres in my heart! So here goes:
This is some of the best Eastern N.C. style BBQ I’ve ever eaten outside of N.C. in my life! Maybe even inside N.C., if it were 500 miles north. Their pulled pork is the real thing. Pork shoulder simmered in apple cider vinegar and spices, shredded and presented. This is the way it is supposed to taste!
As for sides, forget the gimmick that they feature the sides menu on a pig-​shaped cutting board with the daily availabilities. Just ignore the novelty and start ordering sides off the darned thing! The variety and quality of such is what stands out here! I have been eating nothing but Hickory Hollow every time I’ve been down here and that is often! I went by myself at first, but brought friends recently. So… I’ll review the food:
Brunswick Stew: Was really good with a flavorful broth, lots of southern vegetables and shredded (dark chicken?) meat. Traditional Brunswick is made with squirrel meat, but I’ll cut them some slack because most civilized restaurants will never do that these days. Very tasty!
Carolina Style BBQ: Incredible pulled pork, the vinegar sauce was spiced better than just about anyone alive today could do it. If not piquant enough for you, there is a bottle of smoky spicy vinegar on the table to push the envelope for you. I used a lot and it rocked. Also they have Texas Pete’s on the table for we pepperheads which was greatly appreciated by me.
The pulled pork sandwich is the above mentioned delight liberally piled onto a buttered then perfectly crispily grilled bun. Slaw and pickles are on it and if you want sides you can get two for an extra $ 2.25.
There was a special of baby backs that my friend got and they were terrific, though not the best I’d ever eaten (mind you, I’ve eaten some great ones in my day), but these were really good.
Now the sides, of which they have plenty:
Mac & cheese: kind of thin & just so-​so
’Tater salad: good southern style with lots of celery seed
Black eyed peas: a little watery, yet tasty and authentic — I liked them a lot
Fried okra: breadier and heavier than I’m used to, but still a winner
Stewed tomatoes: probably the best I’ve ever had in my life
Spinach soufflé: my friends said it was to die for
Yam patties: I’m not a yam lover, but my friends said good!
Nota Bene: Greens aren’t regularly featured on the menu, but last time there, I saw a guy eating… GREENS! So I asked if they had them. The waitress said yes, but they had such a limited supply they weren’t listing them on the board. I ordered them. They were absolutely the most tender greens I’ve ever eaten! So ask.
And… Ta ta da yah… Most dishes come with HHB’s corn fritters. They’re like really, really moist deep fried hushpuppies with cooked, chewy corn kernels inside. Worth going there just for them! Outstanding!
Lunch is not crowded. Service is great and cordial. They replaced the Formica tables with wood + ceramic tile a while back. Very comfy padded chairs on rollers. Cheap prices, too.
If you’re ever in the area after reading this and don’t eat there, you’ll be a first class jackass ;-)
Also, leave your cards at home — HHB accepts cash only, but they have an ATM right inside the restaurant for your convenience.

Cash only, but they have an ATM. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Awesome food. The menu is bigger than BBQ, but I can’t tell you what anything else tastes like… I can’t bring myself to order anything else. I always make sure I arrive hungry so I can take on a platter. And I love the large selection of side dishes.
It’s a no nonsense and casual atmosphere. And they have a surprisingly sophisticated, if eclectic, selection of beers.
Do I need to add more? This place is worth a try if you like Carolina style BBQ.