A Visit To The Newly Opened Hickory's Smokehouse In Gamston, Nottingham
Published On Monday 7 Oct 2024 by Sticky Beak
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The Southern states of America are amazing for two main reasons: their friendliness and hospitality, and their Smokehouse eateries. An English gent called Neil went a-wandering and discovered these joys himself and fell under their spell; instantly smitten, he vowed to bring this magic back to Blighty. Fast-forward a bit and that dream has become a reality in the form of Hickory’s Smokehouses.
His Nibs and I have been lucky enough to be invited to a couple of openings in our area - and we just love the whole experience - so we were ecstatic to be asked along to the ‘soft opening’ of the newest site at Gamston in Nottingham. Like Nuthall and Derby, the Gamston site has plenty of parking, so we pulled into one and sauntered over to the entrance. Upbeat, Country-inspired music was playing and our feet were tapping happily as we approached the front desk to check-in. One of the team was just in the throes of sorting us when, I spied the lovely Paula who had invited us to Derby’s launch; we had a hug and said we’d catch up a bit later.
Paula wasn’t the only familiar face…. when we’d been shown to our booth table in one of the raised corners, another young lady came over to say hi and I thought ‘I know that face’. Now, I’m pretty poop with names (and I’m the first to admit it), but faces I don’t usually forget; thankfully Lisa saw the fuzziness on my face and put me out of my misery! Formerly of The Hunloke Arms (The Man and I are huge fans of the Chilled Pub venues, too) life is taking Lisa down this neck-of-the-woods, so when the opportunity to get involved with Hickory’s in Gamston, it seemed like the universe was aligning those proverbial stars for her.
Last time we visited Hickory’s, His Nibs sampled their own Pale Ale and liked it, so he ordered a pint of it again when our lovely server Louis came over; I went for the Tennessee Twirl, a triple layer, frozen cocktail – think of it as an alcohol-pimped slushie… a very nice one, too, I must say. The customary paper bag of popcorn was placed on the table for us to nibble at whilst we perused the menu. Our beloved Smoked Brisket Bourbon Tacos (£8.99) were on the appetiser section, so they got ordered, as did the Southern Fried Chicken ‘in a basket’ (£8.25). Always on the hunt for tasty veggie dishes, I’d spotted the Southern style Cauliflower Burnt Ends (£7.25) and the Smoked Cauli, Hickory’s seasoning-coated pieces and their Nashville Hot Honey dip - how fab does that sound?!
Whilst waiting for our starters, His Nibs and I were mesmerised by the central, open kitchen; Chef and his team were like whirling dervishes as they cooked up some seriously tasty storms for their guests. I could see flames dancing from one station, and it’s always stumped me as to how Chefs can work in such temperatures; when it hits 25C, I melt and head for the nearest fan! Appreciating the decor, I noticed that natural materials such as wood and leather feature heavily to present Hickory’s signature, southern style. The Gamston venue is a bit more open plan and has higher ceilings than other sites, and the cinema room is there – as is a trio of outside Cabanas. They were definitely getting the Sticky Beak once-over when I’d finished eating.
After having taken the photos of our appetisers, we got stuck in and our mouths were soon awash with notes of sweet and smoke. The brisket in the Tacos was unbelievably juicy and soft, sitting on cute, small circles of corn tortilla along with Salsa and Coriander. In a fabulously throw-back, plastic basket were sizeable skewers of crisp-coated Chicken Breast and crunchy Corn chips; both morsels were perfect for dunking in the [frankly] obscenely tasty Hot Honey dip. I loved the idea of the Cauliflower bites, and they were tasty, but I wanted a bit more crunch from the batter; what can I say, I’m a crunch craver!
Louis, and his team-mate Dan, both came to check we were enjoying our food so far and when Mickey (hope I spelled that right!) came to collect the empty plates and bits away, he had a nice chat and some banter with us. When this team have got a few more shifts under their belts, they are going to be dynamite; to say they’re only young, they certainly have the manners, charm and patter to provide anyone who comes through the doors with a great dining experience.
The only problem (and what a problem to have!) is that there is just.too.much scrumminess on the menu at Hickory’s Smokehouse; it takes an absolute age to even whittle the choice down to half a dozen dishes that catch your eye! Over the times we’ve visited, His Nibs and I go for the simple solution: The Smokehouse Platter (£60 for 2 to share, or £33 for 1 person). This smokehouse smorgasbord has literally everything your heart desires: Texas-style Brisket, Memphis style- and BBQ- Baby Back Ribs, a huge Pork, Jalapeno and Cheese Sausage, BBQ hand-pulled Pork and Pit Beans, 8-hour smoked Jacob’s Ladder (short-rib), and Bourbon-glazed, smoked Chicken Wings. This platter comes with skin-on Fries, Cornbread (don’t blame me when you get addicted to this!), house ‘Slaw, Pickles and Tennessee Bourbon Gravy; we also added some Creamy Street Corn (£4.25), a mix of Sweetcorn, Black Beans, Peppers and Scallions.
Every time that iconic Smokehouse Platter comes out, I gasp in admiration; you simply cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer size of it…and when you tuck in, oh my! Like a kid in a candy shop, your palate just does not know how to deal with all the awesomeness. The first decision is where to start; we settle it with a quick round of good old ‘ip dip, you are not it’ – I know, not mature at all!
Jacobs Ladder is every bit as tasty as Ribeye; don’t believe me? Go try it for yourself and then see. Having honed their craft and skills in actual smokehouses in the Southern States [of America], the pit-masters at Hickory’s ensure that every morsel that passes your greedy lips will hit the spot. Every piece of meat and bird is given the 5-star treatment and the results speak for themselves: pink rings around your pork and poultry (yes, it is cooked!) and purple ones on the outside edge of the beef. Every single rib fell away from the bone and melted in the mouth, and I even enjoy the Cheese and Jalapeno sausage here – no repeat factor in sight. Sweet, soft and smoky, the combination of juicy shreds of pulled Pork and comforting Beans is just marvellous; proper ‘soul food’, in my opinion.
His Nibs is a bit wishy-washy when it comes to Chicken Wings (between us I think it’s because, generally, the effort:reward ratio isn’t worth it in his eyes!), but even he was smiling as he chomped his way through a couple. Personally, I thought they were fab, as was the Cornbread. I ruddy love Cornbread – the first time I had it as a little girl in Texas, I was transfixed by its softness and the fact that it was sweeter than ‘bread’. In blighty, we are used to a more savoury type, which suits our cuisine, and that’s the point; the richer, deeper tastes of smokehouse meals need the extra oomph of the Cornbread to balance them. Crunchy ‘Slaw and tangy pickles brought a superb textural element to the platter and the fries were marvellous for dunking into that glorious gravy! I was enamoured with the Creamy Street Corn, too; this veggie-packed morsel was beautiful, and not at all heavy on the tummy. Well worth a try if you haven’t had it before – it isn’t spicy, so it will suit all palates.
In a departure to our usual style, we left some of the meat (the Hickory’s team will happily box up leftovers for you to take home) in order to keep space for dessert. Hickory’s do a ‘Fro-Co’: frozen custard; now, don’t wig out, it’s not actual custard. Frozen custard is essentially ice cream sexed-up with the addition of egg and more double cream…but all you need to know it that it is super-scrummy. Mr Whippy, move over, you is done! I opted for the Fro-Co with Honeycomb pieces, Toffee Fudge bits and Butterscotch sauce (£5.50); sounds good? You betcha!
Maybe it was on the menu previously, but His Nibs and I can’t recall seeing the rather marvellous-sounding ‘Cookie Sandwich’ (£7.99) before. Needless to say, the description of Choc Chip Cookies housing Fro-Co, Chocolate and Toffee sauces, Fudge pieces, Honeycomb, and mini Marshmallows was an irresistible siren call to The Man Birds’ tummy. This is a serious player in pudding world, let me tell you. The crunch of the cookies contrasts crisply with the smooth silkiness of the Fro-Co, and the sauces and confectionary add loads of taste layers – this is mega-delish; you can thank me later for getting it into your life.
To cleanse our palates, we shared a zingy Blueberry Lemonade and the fruity blast really did a good job of resetting our tastebuds. At this point in proceedings, Lisa came back over to invite us for a viewing of Miss Southern Pride, the main smoker that is responsible for creating the distinctive flavours at Hickory’s; we came away with a tub of Magic Dust, some Pitmasters Rub and a bottle of Hot Sauce…and a whole heap of knowledge about the wood used, the timings involved and the logistics of getting a smoker over the pond from the US to England!
My final stop was to poke around in the swanky Cabanas outside. You walk through the outdoor garden (which still looked lovely despite the weathers’ best efforts to the contrary!) to get to them and, stepping inside is like stepping into your own private oasis of gastro bliss. Each hut/cabana seats up to 8 people and comes with its own heating and music system and is decked out in a relaxed Southern style for an authentic, relaxed experience. God, I want one of these myself!
As always, we didn’t want to leave the hospitable bosom of Hickory’s, and that was in no small part to the efforts of the serving team. Good Luck for when you ‘go live’ guys, you’ll smash it! Huge thanks to Ali and Paula for inviting us along, and to Lisa for organising the ‘behind-the-scenes’ tour for us.
Hot Wings happily given to Hickory’s Smokehouse in Gamston, Nottingham; we had another memorable evening. It should go without saying that kids are most welcome at Hickory’s; they have their own dedicated menu and staff also give out ‘kids packs’ to occupy young hands and minds during their time dining.
You can book a table by phoning 0115 7042301 or by visiting the website www.hickorys.co.uk; select the ‘find your Hickorys’ button and once you’ve got the one you want to visit, hit the ‘book now’ tab. Hickory’s Smokehouse Gamston site is open Mon-Fri Noon-11pm , and Sat & Sun from 10am-11pm.
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