Hickory Street Bar & Grille
(512) 477-8968
800 Congress Ave
Austin,
TX
78701
30.2701
-97.7421
Neighborhood: Downtown
What People Are Saying About Hickory Street Bar & Grille
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
In Short
This restaurant is decorated with photos of old downtown Austin and the usual array of country knickknacks. You can eat outside on the patio or sit inside cheek-by-jowl with the student and business crowds that have frequented this eatery for two decades. The buffets consist of salad, soup, potato, bread and sundae bars. While that's the main focus, you can also order greasy cheeseburgers, larger-than-life sandwiches and steak.
User Reviews
Anonymous
February 19, 2009
Hickory Street used to be one of my favorite haunts -- I started eating there back in 1987 and it was just a nice place to get a salad, a baked potato and a bowl of soup. The restaurant was clean, the food was good, the staff was attentive and friendly. Fast forward 22 years: the last three times my partner and I ate there, the salads were decidedly old, the cottage cheese was room temperature, the soup was burned, the potatoes cooked WAY past their prime. Any place can have an off night, so we came back later. No improvement. The last time we came back the salads were wilting, the cream-based dressings were room temperature and the cottage cheese was actually souring. The bread was stale. It was disgusting. As much as I loved Hickory Street -- the quality of the food and service has gone down so much since the change in ownership/management that I can no longer recommend this restaurant. That's too bad: Hickory Street Bar and Grille was an Austin institution.
read full reviewAnonymous
August 05, 2008
I have worked downtown for more than a decade and have had both the pleasure and displeasure (depending on the day) of eating at Hickory Street on numerous occasions. A recent hunger for chili brought me to Hickory Street, and the visit was quite a disappointment. When I told the waiter that the chili was burned he said that he would alert the cook and the manager -- then I never saw him again (nor did I see the manager). I wrote it off as a one-time thing and visited Hickory Street again one week later. As I sat at my table eating my chicken strips and french fries, I was horrified to witness two cockroaches scampering along the top of the half wall that divides the dining area and the salad bar. I alerted my waitress, who was as horrified as I. She walked over and killed one of the bugs, but was unable to get the second. I suggested she alert the manager, but again, one never came to our table to apologize for our less-than-enjoyable eating experience. The waitstaff at Hickory has almost always been attentive and friendly, but the food is mediocre and there are bugs. Needless to say, I will not be patronizing Hickory Street again.
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Urbanater
July 24, 2008
This place has horrible service, terrible food, feels dirty, and basically misses the mark on quality. The only positive is the location. Avoid going here if you want to be impressed.
read full reviewThe Details on Hickory Street Bar & Grille
When to Go:
This is a great spot for families touring the Capitol Building or staying the downtown area.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Breakfast, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, People Watching, Lunch Spot, Group Dining
