Hickory Street

Get the sweet potato fries!
The food was yummy. We ordered the Congress St. burger, Spicy Apple Slaw, and the sweet potato fries. It was alllll yummy and the perfect amount to split for two.
The restaurant seemed a little understaffed which resulted in a bit of a delay but the guy that was working was really doing the very best he could. They had an awesome outside patio too!
Overall: very good experience.

I LOVE HICKORY STREET! Each time I make a trip to Austin I make sure to stop by. The fried pickle spears are so good! Definitely try the black bean burger or the pulled pork tacos. DELICIOUS!

Cool outdoor patio (accompanied with singer ;) and the brunch was very good. I enjoyed the mimosas and oatmeal with peaches! Great location, too.

Stopped into Hickory Street for an appetizer last Friday while walking around the capitol area.
Our server was great. I think his name was Josh. He was the bartender. On his performance alone, and the fact that he introduced me to a really nice beer, ZOE Pale Lager, was knowledgeable about the food and the beer selections, provided quick and efficient service, he warrants 5 stars.
They end up with only 3 stars for the following. They were out of several of their menu items. We ended up trying the Charred Sweet Corn Guacamole. It was ok. The corn could’ve used a little more char, the fresh potato chips were just a little soft and the portion size was a little on the small side.
And while the service was great, the restaurant and bathroom were clean, the hostess was kind of distracted most of the time we were there. The curse of «I have to text to live» while working. It seemed like it was an inconvenience on arrival to deal with seating us as it obviously interrupted the more important task of getting the next OMG in! And on the way out she was so engrossed in her phone that she didn’t even pick up her head with any acknowledgement at all. Lame for the first and last impression.

One star for the food, second for the service. Our waitress was very friendly, informative, and attentive.
The food was awful. I ordered the chicken-​fried ribeye and the kid ordered the fried chicken. I did this in case he didn’t like the chicken, maybe he’d like the ribeye. When she brought them out they were indistinguishable from one another. A big blob of overcooked breading that, when each of us knifed in, shattered like a glass goblin. Which in my case, revealed what could only be described as a thin layer of worn out shoe sole. His chicken was also dry, tasteless, and overcooked. The mashed potaoes were all that kept us from starving before we had to catch a bus back to the Erwin center.
Won’t go back.

My boss took me here for lunch on my first day at the agency and I really loved the vibe of this place; and the tacos!
I felt really comfortable here, the atmosphere is inviting and cozy. The outdoor area is absolutely adorable; it makes for a fun outdoor dining experience. Lots of plants and flowers, plenty of nice picnic tables… it’s like a mini oasis on Congress. Inside it’s spacious and there are TVs for those looking to catch up on news or sports, so great if you’re like me and dine alone often (for lunch, don’t feel bad for me).
The food was great, too. Granted, I only tried the duck tacos… they were great! All I ask when it comes to tacos is some kind of creativity, uniqueness. This place puts charred tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, crème fraîche in their duck tacos. Delicious! The brisket tacos look delicious as well and I’ve heard positive reviews.
Cute place, inspired menu, simply good flavors. Would definitely return.

Brought in some ladies for a bachelorette party… of my now sister in law.
They wanted to go somewhere for dinner where they could all be dolled up but where the dinner wouldn’t break the bank. I put in a call to set up a reservation and got the front room set aside for us. They close early, so our reservation was at 6:30.
Lots of happy ladies that night. From the champagne to the appetizers (Guac served with their homemade potato chips) to the specialty drinks to the entrees, to the desserts, everyone raved. I had the duck tacos off the appetizer menu. Three perfectly portioned tacos — perfectly cooked and just right.
The lady of honor had the mac ‘n cheese which was divine. Everyone else ordered handlers and to illustrate how impressed everyone was, the bridal party was talking about it over a week later at the wedding.
For those who don’t know, they’re under new owndership from the original Hickory Street and the current owner is a seasoned, local restauranteur who really knows his stuff. The management is top notch (tip ‘o the hat to you, Brad) and the staff are friendly. Our server was great and on-​point all night. We were all made to feel special, they took pictures for us when we were done eating and put up with us being there as the clock wound down towards closing.

We loved this place! They have a great patio with a great music selection, cheap and strong drinks, and though we only had a couple of appetizers they were very tasty! It’s a block off 6^th street so it’s not as busy and nice if you are looking for something a little quieter.

Great for Gluten free people, good for all… old fashioned American favorites

Mondays $ 2 tall boys!
Hidden in the back of a little courtyard right off Congress, this place is a really neat find! They have great patio seating (with fans!) that I would like to visit for happy hour. The inside is eclectic with random pictures of surrounding areas and local bands; a popular theme in Austin it seems. You walk in and order at the front and are given a buzzer to alert you when your food is ready to be picked up, so pretty casual atmosphere that would be great for a group of friends paying their own tabs!
My husband had the brisket tacos and thought they were great, and as usual I tried a little bite of his food and I really liked them as well! Buuuuut, unfortunately I really didn’t like my choice at all; the fish and chips. The batter was soggy and barely cooked through, and the fish inside had no flavor and was dry. The best part of my meal were the sweet potato fries that came on the side dipped in the creamy jalapeño dressing.
Overall, I’m sure we would return because, being on Congress, the prices are great! (For my husband and I both to eat and have a beer it was $ 25 even). I’ll just stay away from the fish :/

Hrm, very tempted to deduct a star. Hickory Street has recently changed their weekend hours, and they now OPEN AT 10:30. Not at 9am, like their website, menu, and storefront show. This was one of my favorite early morning brunch spots, but it looks like I’ll have to sleep in a bit longer, or go elsewhere. The food remains on point, even if their updates aren’t.

Hickory Street is funny place, tucked at the back of a courtyard on Congress. A lot of the downtown establishments are bars, clubs, ethnic or fine dining. Hickory Street is a bit of all and a bit of none as a standalone american bar food restaurant /​burger joint with a delicious comfort food twist.
The Hickory Street Burger is one of the more excellent versions of a BBQ burger in this town. It has a duck egg and a wheat bun for extra decadence!
We went due to it’s proximity to the theatre across the street (in the rain) and were happy with the service and the food. Other reviewers have noted the good strong drinks and something called a «chicken fried chicken».
Though it isn’t as casual, sociable or entertaining as a bar; nor is it fine dining; and it is a bit more of a hassle to go downtown just to eat, oddly enough, I see myself returning! I could just see myself saying: «Hey, let’s meet down at Hickory Street». I’m just afraid that my friends might look on with suspicion.
So, I’ll leave this review with a thought that this won’t be the meal for all occasions, or perhaps even for most, but I hope you do find a space in your life for a visit.

I’ve never noticed this place before. It’s very understated, and just by the looks I’m sure most people would pass it up. We went here for a birthday brunch.
I was blown away by the menu and most importantly the food. We had a very large party and the waiters rocked their values in patience and politeness to a bunch of happy go lucky hungry drunks.
GET THE: Chicken fried chicken on goat cheese and apple grits drizzled with maple tabasco syrup. Un-f’ing-believably good. SO GOOD we were tempted to order another plate. SO good my husband ate half of mine before touching his steak n’eggs. WHICH by the way was also pretty darn tasty.
As for the Steak n Egg’s the only odd thing about it was that meat was a huge wad and they gave us the smallest albeit cutest steak knife ever! It definitely made cutting and eating it a challenge.
The dranks were strong and o’plenty. 22oz goblets of shear booze and a splash of miscellaneous add’ons makes for unspeakable shenanigans.
Let’s just say… Everyone was happy and we will be coming back!

Ate here today after missing the place for over a year. I just don’t get downtown often. New Management, new menu, new prices. Service was attentive and friendly. The restaurant was busy enough for downtown on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of serving staff available to assist when needed.
I had the Hickory Street Migas which were green scrambled eggs. The jalapeño was fully incorporated into the eggs making them green. Spicy but not mouth-​burning.
The menu describes the entrée as «jalapeño, salsa, cheese, sour cream, queso fresco, fried potatoes, chipotle white beans, cilantro tortillas.» I wasn’t aware of any cheese other than the crumbled queso fresco. The fried potatoes seemed like a regular potato cut into chunks, cooked/​boiled then lightly pan-​fried, no deep fry, no intense oil feel or taste. The beans looked like regular refried beans, but did tasty chipotle spicy. The salsa was a sprinkling of tomato and onion on the migas. The cilantro tortillas are flour. I liked the flavor, which was mild, not overpowering, and the tortillas had a pleasing hearty texture.
I will return but I think next time I’ll be trying something else on the menu. Migas were OK — no complaints — just prefer my migas prepared differently (the original way).
I do appreciate that the Brunch menu is available in the afternoon on Sundays, not just the morning.

Can’t recall ever going to the old Hickory so I won’t compare. All I know is we had a great brunch (es) here!
It was pouring outside so we went to drop our pup off and come back. Now we know they have a little inside/​outside area where it appears pets are allowed. It’s not actually indoors, but rather a covered patio. We sat out there (with the three other people that braved the weather) and had a grand old time: watching/​listening to the rain outside. the doors were open and there are huge windows so it was like you were in the middle of it. Dare I say magical.
I got some Baileys for my coffee and sipped while we relaxed… you wouldn’t think that would go with guacamole but somehow it was perfect. So were the house-​made salt & pepper chips that came with it. I swear they have a little sugar mixed in, they were like crack. Most items on the menu looked tempting but I went with a brunch item since I could: Fried Chicken & Grits: giant tender breast (hee hee), goat cheese apple grits, tabasco maple syrup. SO GOOD. That maple syrup was incredible and I asked for more on the side. You can put goat cheese on anything and I’ll love it and grits are no exception.
Would do brunch again in a heartbeat but these reviews have me dying to try HH and dinner.
PS. Went back for a birthday bash brunch and was very impressed. Brett was diligent in his follow up in helping me arrange brunch for a large party (30) and the staff was above and beyond in servicing us.
PPS. I also tried about 6 of the cocktails this time around. All different, all good, but for me: Cucumber drink was too spicy, Bloody Mary was too garlicy, frozen peach drink with upside-​down split of Champagne (awesome!!) was too sweet, Watermelon marg was too watermelony, but… you guessed it, the Strawberry Gin Mojito was juuuuuuuuuuust right!

I wouldn’t have touched this place when it was the old hickory street. It was horrible. This 180 turn around is just what we needed downtown. Although they should have changed the name too as it gives me bad flashbacks to the nasty college food they used to serve.
I’ve eaten here probably over half a dozen times as they open and the food is consistently good. The catfish tacos are definitely the best and their potato chips are truly delicious. I love that they offer a gluten-​free menu. They’re gluten-​free fried chicken has been good and also bad on different occasions. So in general I no longer trust it. It always tastes good to sometimes the portion so small that looks more like three chicken fingers than a Chicken breast. I’ve also had their Fish and Chips. The fish is truly taseless. But at least it is Gluten Free.
They also take the go local card so sure to bring yours to save 10%. It’s a nice little bonus. I find their prices to be really high for lunch. The Firsh & Chips was $ 10.77 and not very large at all. I was still hungry after and went out for a smooth.
If you go, sit outside. The inside is dark, open and really depressing. And, oddly, it feels like the tables are too high so you feel like a school kid sitting at them inside.

The new and improved Hickory Street is much better than the one where I found a fly in my salad. Yes, much improved. But the interior décor is zero. Zip. Nada. I like a little ambiance, people. And, I like to walk on a floor that does not slope.
They were out of the pulled pork tacos for my buds and me so we took a 180 and had the Beet Salad (sans fly). Lots of fresh not cooked enough beets and too many slices of red onion. I will have to try the brunch and, hopefully, up the stars.

I was last here probably a year ago or so, and apparently they’ve been revamped recently. I haven’t been to the «new» Hickory Street Bar & Grill yet, but when I do I’ll be sure to update my review accordingly.
I’ve been going here regularly for a number of years. It’s a really chill place, which is part of why I liked it so much. There’s seating inside or outside on the covered patio, which has fans and misters for the really hot summer months. You can people watch up and down Congress and 8^th while you eat.
The food’s pretty good, and apparently still is, after their reopening. I had most everything on their menu at one point or another, but the chicken tenders and macaroni & cheese stand out in my memory. I really liked their SoCo sauce (named after South Congress, NOT Southern Comfort), though a lot of my friends complained that it was too thin. Their burgers are also top-​notch, particularly the bison burger; the only place I’ve ever been to that made a better bison burger was Ted’s Montana Grill, and that’s saying something.
Their beer selection is dece, nothing special, about what you’d expect from any other place of this caliber. The prices were pretty good, nothing bad at all. And the staff are usually really cool and friendly.
Overall, I loved this place. It’s always been one of my favorite restaurants downtown, and whenever I’ve had friend visiting from out of town, I try to take them here.

I want to like this place – it’s a re-​conditioned icon and literally, two doors down from my office, but…
The pros – the patio is nicer, cleaner and revamped. The interior is not as dark and has a better energy
The cons – really limited menu with a huge focus on meat. So, there’s gluten free chicken – I understand how that makes a few people happy but for me, a vegetarian, the menu is simply horrible. I had the chickpea chili which was terribly over seasoned and also contained a great deal of sugar.
The guacamole that one person bragged about was so full of poorly chopped onions that I couldn’t eat it. The onions simply overpowered the avocado and while I like the corn idea, they were just laying atop the dish. Nothing ground breaking here folks…
Kudos for using local produce, but the menu is too limiting and the walk up service will not fly in DT Austin. I sincerely hope it gets better because my other vegetarian option was a carrot quinoa salad that sounded really boring – at least the predecessor offered a hummus wrap!

The only thing that hasn’t changed is the name. Glad to see we have a locavore restuarant downtown. Simple and easy on the eyes to boot. The menu is somewhat limited — don’t bring a vegetarian unless they like salad or faux hot dogs — but makes up for that by providing a good selection of delicious dishes for omnivores.
Case in point: mini buffalo burgers with caramelized onions and cheddar. Home-​run bread on these little guys put ‘em over the top. My friend had a turkey sandwich that was well-​seasoned with anise; possibly the only time I’ve encountered anise done right.
It’s now cafeteria-​style, which is totally fine by me. Place an order and wait for your beeper to go off. Hope they invest in a canopy…
My prediction is that this place will be absolutely jam-​packed during SXSW.