American Honor Ale House

We had a reservation but our group was not seated until almost an hour and a half later. Waiting area did not fit our group so we had to wait outside the entire time.
Service was awkward. Most of our food was not delivered by our waitress but a waiter who literally dropped several plates on the table. No appetizer plates. We asked for napkins 3 times before getting them from the bar ourselves. Waitress (perhaps unknowingly) spilt a drink on one memeber of our party’s pants while pouring a refill for another party member.
Very hipster menu with common selections but many with random ingredients no one in our group had heard of. Menu also was not up to date — we were told that two of the entrées we wanted were no longer available. What we received was decent — three ordered burgers and said they were a little dry, bbq was okay, and fried green tomato sandwich was okay. Beer was okay — no one was impressed with the cider or light beers. I enjoyed the midnight raspberry enough to order a growler of it to take home. Overall okay place but not impressive.

Very friendly staff and a casual /​loud pub atmosphere (as expected on a Saturday night). We tried the wedges as an appetizer and burgers for the main entrée. All delivered hot and very tasty. I enjoyed the beer choices and our server seemed quite knowledgeable. Overall a great experience and worth the drive from Asheville. We will be back!

They have bluegrass music on Sundays, thought we’d give the beer and food a try. Both were great (not bluegrass that Sunday due to football playoffs)… :(We tried a light Flight, and enjoyed the beer a lot. We ordered the pub chips, deviled eggs and the wings, OMG. The upscale treatment of some pub standards was amazing! We had the wings with the sauce on the side, believe me those smokey hot wings don’t need any sauce. The deviled eggs were so interesting!!! Can’t wait to go again, will make sure to call ahead, want to listen to that wonderful bluegrass next time.

1^st experience 3 months ago amazing, 2^nd wtf terrible! Worst waiter, bread burned on sandwich, bacon uncooked and ordinary. Waiter asked how everything was and before we could respond with complaint gone. Never even brought kids menu when we have 6 and 9 year old. Manager should contact for explanation of terrible experience because I won’t be back otherwise! 3 stars for prior experience which was a 5. Today a 1. Good luck hope you get the 5 star experience I was hope for.

Our office Team ate lunch here but with no adult beverages. Staff was courteous and food was fantastic. We tried most items but the Potato Skins were excellent.
I had Pastrami on Ciabatta with spicy coleslaw. Thumbs up kitchen ! Try their homemade salad dressings. We were all very satisfied.

I enjoyed the beer. I think we only ordered Blowing Rock’s beer. The Big Chocolate Porter was my fave. We ordered ale house chips as an appetizer and they came out cold and chewy. In contrast, the sauces that came with the chips were great. The chips seemed like they had been sitting for a while instead of recently fried and immediately brought to the table. I ordered a grilled cheese and soup. The soup was some sort of potato chowder and it was pretty decent. The grilled cheese was nothing special. No, I don’t have extremely high expectations when I order a grilled cheese, but I could have made a better one at home. It didn’t really have much flavor. I tried some of my husband’s food and it was also void of flavor and salt. Our server was really friendly and did a great job. The atmosphere in this place is cool. Other than the soup, I wouldn’t return just based on the food. Beer and atmosphere, maybe would return if I was in the area again.

Excellent food, amazing beer. Server was attentive and very knowledgeable. Joshua was excellent. Can’t wait to come back

I have eaten here several times and the food is excellent. The craft beer selection is local and diverse with some brewed on the premises. The location and service are also excellent with nice outdoor seating option. Family friendly

Double IPA. … worst I’ve ever had. Mac and cheese… worst I’ve ever had. Service… pretty good actually. Turkey sandwich. …Ok at best. Not something I’d write home about for sure. Don’t think I’ll be returning for anything in particular

Don’t order pretzels bites for $ 9… Not pretzels but bread dough with no flavor. Hamburger good but small, pub chips mediocre and service, though nice guy, subpar. Go for beer not food

Great addition to Hickory! Excellent food with just enough of a twist to make it interesting and keep me coming back for more! I’m currently working my way through the beer selection but have enjoyed the quality of what I’ve tried so far.

Beautiful space. Kind staff. Good, not great, beer. Ok food. It’s very new so we’ll give it another try next time we’re in the area.

Atmosphere is great! Was not fond of the food. Got the pimento fondue and the pretzel bites. Wasn’t the greatest. Friends ordered a single burger with chips and it looked more like a slider. Mainly went because we had a Groupon for the beer. Might be the only reason we would return back.

We did not eat any food on our visit, and for that matter, we opted to not stay beyond receiving a glass of H2O at our table.
If you are a beer drinker, and you have the finances to enjoy some expensive small plates to accompany, this maybe a great place. Beer seems to be the primary focus (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but we went in on a Saturday at lunch time, seeking a brunch menu, but we were in the wrong place for that.
Many combos seemed odd to us, and so I’m not sure that we will be back. It’s a nice place, and I’m sure it will be well-​liked.

The atmosphere is great, but that is where it ends. My family tried lunch and it was really bad. My salad was tiny and tasted like sand was in it. The vinaigrette was horrible and I left and ate at home. The baked nut beans were nasty. I so wanted it to be good, but we are no going back.

Pretzel app was great– two different dips and both were excellent. My husband and I split the Mixed green salad. It was a healthy portion, delicious and the dressing was amazing– should have asked for more. We also split the burger which was very good-​Appreciate the craft beers and recommend ordering the flight for starters– the stout was great as well as the summer ale. Service was friendly and knowledgeable — great atmosphere — different menu from the restaurant upstairs but same chef if I remember correctly. Prices are reasonable for everything we ordered– fun a date night but great for families as well. They also have a nice selection of wine. Look forward to going again!

Excellent service, unique warehouse décor, and interesting beers. Good but limited food menu. A wonderful addition to Hickory!

Great beer in a fabulous location! Interior of restaurant was great, but I could see how it could get loud. The Fried Flounder sandwich served on a fresh brioche bun was delicious, but overpriced. I chose the potato salad for my side and was disappointed. The remoulade and pickled slaw on the sandwich made up for it, though!
The pretzel bites were yummy, and we ordered a second round for the kids, as there didn’t appear to be a kids menu, and the macaroni and cheese has ham in it.
I sampled the ESB but decided on the double IPA to drink, and it was fabulous. I tasted my husband’s Porter and it, too, was tasty. Overall, it was a nice experience. Our server, Holden, was fabulous and very friendly and attentive, as was the manager Katie.
Overall, we had a good experience, and I will go back for appetizers and beer.

When a bell rings, an angel gets their wings. And… when a brewery opens, I get in my car and drive.
American Ale House is brand spankin’ new and an offshoot of Blowing Rock Brewing Co; you know the beer is going to be good. The facility has a clean lined industrial feel that’s mellowed with the use of leather couches. The outdoor space is covered and has plenty of casual tables and benches
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The beer is awesome. I didn’t taste anything, I didn’t like. The Big Chocolate Porter sticks to your teeth; chewy smoky goodness. The Red Rider American Red Ale is very smooth without being too sweet. The Blowing Rock IPA is nicely crafted/​polished brew with an easy finish. The winner, winner chicken dinner, is the Hop On N’Ride IPA — wow! Nicely balanced with a Hops karate Chop! I’ll take a growler please!
The food. The homemade pretzel bites came with pimento cheese fondue and sweet potato IPA mustard. So good and buttery, and such an interesting, tasty twist. The romaine salad with red onions, country olives and feta is delicious and had fried chick peas that were incredible; I could just eat a bowl of them by themselves. My sandwich deserves its own paragraph…
Every once in a while you eat something that you remember for a while. I’m still thinking about the sandwich I had here. I tell everyone who will listen to me about this sandwich. «Hey, you, yes you, I need to tell you something…» The HOAGIE: Fennel Salami, a full slice of broiled pancetta, fresh mozzarella and olive spread on fresh crispy toasted ciabatta. Once you try it, you too will remember and crave it!! The house made paprika chips were cooked perfectly and are addictive!
Thanks for the heads up on this place Sam J! I love this place!

Kudos to Michael N for his spot on food and beer recommendations!
As a Hickory resident, I am happy to see these old abandoned textile hosiery mills refurbished into wonderful consumer venues. American Honor Ale House is an updated brewery /​restaurant combining the best of vintage architecture and new design.
BTW, thanks again to Michael for recommending the Hoagie because it was quite enjoyable. I initially thought that the sandwich was too small, but I was practically full after eating only one half of the sandwich.
WOW, the Hoagie was a flavor explosion! All of the sandwich ingredients were top notch, from the salami to the cheese to the lettuce to the olive spread to the ciabatta bread. I could have eaten the crusty ciabatta bread by itself and been perfectly content!
The Smoked Paprika Chips were made in house and they were good. The chips came out without any type of dip, but my eager to please waiter remedied that omission by bringing me a cup of ranch dressing.
The BEERS? Surprisingly well crafted — where do I begin?
The RED RIDER AMERICAN RED ALE was very good — and potent. This ale was pleasantly light and refreshing because it had a moderate 39 IBU, (international bittering units).
The HOP ON N’ RIDE IPA reminded me favorably of NODA Brewing’s: Hop Drop and Roll. This was just a fantastic, well balanced, hoppy IPA.
Growler.
Service?
My server was a tall, dark haired, young man who did a great job of making sure that I was happy with my meal. He told me that he was actually a trainee, and that I was his third table EVER. There were as many servers as there were guests so being well taken care of is not going to be a problem.
(The dark haired guy in the photo was my server.)
American Honor Ale House is a nice place for lunch or dinner, for a craft beer lover. Both beers that I had were very, very well made and POTENT.
This place is highly recommended for great beer and great food in a relaxed chill setting.
Cons: The food is somewhat expensive. With a sandwich and two beers plus tip, lunch can easily cost $ 30. As much as I would like to come here often, I just can’t justify those prices for a casual lunch.
The brewery is less than five minutes of Interstate 40 at Lenoir-​Rhyne exit 125. Just exit and head north, and the brewery is on the left about two miles from the interstate. Cheers!