Hickory BBQ and Smokehouse Reviews
Reviews
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Awards
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![Brian]()
Brian Sent on 10/08/2025Delicious BBQ - Texan approved!
Hickory BBQ did an amazing job at our wedding in Highland NY! We had passed appetizers as well as stationary (gorgeous lamb chops, shrimp kebabs, mini chicken sliders) - all delicious. We had a buffet for dinner and the guests thought the food was fantastic, they loved it (and, I might add we had Texans in town who approved of the brisket!). Our package included a wedding cake and we worked with their baker, Kristi, which was a lovely experience - we did a cake tasting up at Hickory and got to know her while deciding on flavours (all were very tasty). The wedding cake turned out really well - pretty decoration and tasted awesome. We also had a table of desserts (crumb cakes and seasonal bakes) which went down very well. It was great working with Steve on the menu - and all the staff on the day. Thank you!! -
![Sara]()
Sara Sent on 06/22/2025Hire Hickory BBQ for your wedding!!!!
I can't thank Hickory BBQ enough for their amazing work at our wedding!!! Not only was the food delicious (so many of our guests raved about it), but Bri and the servers really went above and beyond to make our big day flow smoothly. From pouring water and wine to clearing plates to tending bar, the Hickory BBQ staff did it all and were an absolute pleasure to work with. From my first phone call with Bri, I knew I had nothing to worry about when it came to catering. I had high expectations based on Hickory BBQ's great reviews, and the servers still surpassed them!! The owner Steve was also a pleasure to work with and treated us to some pie when we stopped in to the restaurant for a tasting. You will NOT regret hiring Hickory BBQ for your big day!! Delicious, hearty, food for a great price and exceptional service! -
![Marissah]()
Marissah Sent on 10/25/2024Fall Wedding 2024
We chose to work with Steve and Hickory BBQ for our wedding caterer in the Hudson Valley. They were absolutely amazing to work with and a very cost friendly option, especially for an open bar and robust food menu. They made our fall barbecue dreams come true!!
Our spread came buffet style and we chose to serve ribs, prime roast, and salmon. We had so many compliments that people absolutely loved the food, especially the salmon and sweet potatoes. We truly had so many options to choose from for cocktail hour and dinner. Guests raved that the food was truly so good and their expectations for food served at weddings is usually pretty low.
The bartenders and staff were great. They made a great signature cocktail for us and worked especially hard when there was a big rush for drinks during our cocktail hour. Although Hickory had great dessert options, we did want to bring in some homemade desserts from family members and their team easily accommodated it.
Steve was also great to work with in advance as we didn’t quite know what we were getting into with a DIY style wedding. He recommended great vendors, so we could have all the barware and essentials needed for serve 165 people. We also stopped in the restaurant beforehand to try all our menu options, which I highly recommend as it got us really excited for the big day and our chosen spread. Highly recommend Hickory BBQ as one of the top catering vendors to work with in the Hudson Valley if you want something different than many of the farm to table options available in the area. We’re excited to come back as a married couple next time we are in Kingston! -
![Rosie]()
Rosie Sent on 08/31/2023Great food, great service, great price
We had Hickory BBQ cater both our rehearsal dinner and wedding, and they were fantastic. Steve was easy to communicate with, and super flexible with the offerings, as we had to keep it kosher style, and they even served a few kosher meals that were sourced elsewhere for us. The food was excellent (brisket was a huge highlight) and the staff was awesome. And the pricing is really reasonable. We're so happy we went with HIckory for our catering and would recommend to anyone! Thank you so much Steve! -
![Kate]()
Kate Sent on 08/26/2023The best caterer!
Absolutely use Hickory BBQ for your upstate wedding! The food is beyond amazing. Our guests are still talking about it two weeks later! The nicest people and they really made our day feel exactly how we hoped. So glad they have a stand alone restaurant so we can eat our wedding food all the time! -
![Jennifer]()
Jennifer Sent on 12/05/2022Delicious!
Hickory was the best choice for our wedding catering! Steve was very responsive and super easy to work with, plus the food just can't be beat. We made a lot of extra trips up to Kingston for more "tastings" than we really needed just because we couldn't get enough of the bbq and garlic mashed potatoes. The team at Hickory (including Kristi's amazing cake!) knew our venue and had all the logistics well in hand, which was a huge relief on our wedding day. All of our guests raved about the food. We couldn't be happier about our experience! -
![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 11/03/2022Amazing Food and Service!! A MUST in the Hudson Valley!
Hiring Steve and his crew was one of the BEST decisions we made for our wedding!! We had already had his food at the restaurant (which is SO good), but working directly with him and having it for our big day was beyond wonderful! Not only was the food just as delicious as the restaurant, but Steve was incredibly kind, supportive and responsive throughout the entire process. His catering manager and crew the day-of were beyond top-tier in terms of customer service! They ensured the groom and I got appetizers, drinks and a plate of dinner delivered straight to us. They also were kind and fun with all of our guests. The bartender was fabulous and made perfect drinks all night long! All of our guests have commented on how it was the best wedding food and drinks they ever had, and some even visited the restaurant the following day on their way home! The biggest hits were the smoked lamb chops, brisket and our signature cocktail - an apple cider mule.
FYI - we got married at Mount Gulian Historic Site and Steve's crew made all of the difference in terms of set up and clean up. Beyond thankful to you all! -
Courtney Sent on 01/29/2022
Absolutely amazing!!
Hickory was so amazing, I am so happy we found them for our rustic barn experience. We had so many compliments on the bbq food from our guests! The owner Steve was very helpful and always responded so quickly to any questions I had. The menu you perfect for us and had a little bit of everything for everyone.
Their staff was on top of everything on my special day from setting up, cooking, serving, bartending, and cleaning up! It took so much stress off my shoulders and they even brought me some pigs in a blanket while I was taking photos so I wouldn’t miss anything during cocktail hour! That I will NOT forget.
10/10 such a gem -
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![Jennifer]()
Jennifer Sent on 10/12/2021Fantastic Catering, Food & Flexibility
Steve (owner) is the nicest guy to work with. What's even better is the mouth watering food. We thoughts the ribs, brisket and pulled pork were the best. Then I discovered the blackened catfish. Steve let us design a menu with multiple appetizers and entrees for our small wedding. He also provided open bar options and dessert which was scrumptious. My husband love the blackout cake the best. There was also a blueberry (looking) crumb cake that tasted like heaven. His baker, Kristi, made us mini cupcakes and a gorgeous chocolate wedding cake which was smooth and addictive and so delicious. I typically hate wedding cake — It's tasteless, too thin and boring — but ours was beyond tasty. See the pic! Hire Steve & Hickory BBQ. Lovely food, people, chef and catering team! -
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![Isaac]()
Isaac Sent on 08/16/2021Fantastic choice for catering!
Hickory BBQ was awesome -- by far the best vendor we used for our wedding. It was 2 months ago and we're still getting compliments about the food. Most of all, they took care of us and were so low maintenance - did a ton of little things to make the day special, like bringing me and my wife our own personal tray of food right after we did photos to be sure we were taken care of. Guests loved them, they helped set up and break down, and in the morning all their trash and stuff was nicely packed up and gone (we had a backyard wedding). Highly, highly recommend these guys - just tell them what you want and you'll get it! -
![Allyse]()
Allyse Sent on 10/18/2020Amazing food and a great staff
Everybody loved the food and the staff were absolutely fantastic.
Steve dealt with the every changing covid rollercoaster/dumpster fire that was planning this wedding with amazing patience and kindness and that was worth more to me than even the amazing food.
Hickory is great and we love them. -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 03/08/2020Great food and professional service!
Steve and his team helped create a great menu for our wedding reception dinner and helped us stay in budget. Worked with us leading up to the wedding and kept me stress free. Hush puppies were a hit for cocktail hour and all of our guests loved everything. We had the brisket, chicken, pulled pork, warmed potatoes and my favorite Mac n cheese and greens. All so delicious and fitting for our barn wedding with bluegrass band. Brie was amazing in helping us create a signature drink that was perfect in the autumn chill. The service and food was all around fantastic. Thank you Hickory for catering or wedding. Our guests loved the food. We will be back to the restaurant every time we pass through Kingston. Always pleased with your bbq!! -
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Cheyenne Sent on 12/10/2019
Highly Recommend!
The food was AMAZING! We received so many complements. The service was also great! The owner was easy to work with and offer great suggestions! -
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![Maria]()
Maria Sent on 10/21/2019Terrific food, terrific service!
Hickory bbq was incredible! Everyone was so helpful, food was amazing. Steve was great! He was available to our many questions promptly. We’re extremely happy with our choice to work with Hickory BBQ -
![Daniel]()
Daniel Sent on 06/27/2019Hickory BBQ is the Best!!
Steve and the Hickory team were awesome to work with. I've never heard so many rave reviews regarding the food at a wedding before. In addition, the staff was super helpful, professional, and generally just awesome and a pleasure to work with. I would recommend hiring Hickory BBQ for any event you have in the future and cannot wait to visit the restaurant again this summer!! -
![Julia]()
Julia Sent on 06/09/2019Poughkeepsie Wedding 6/1/19
Delicious food and even more helpful staff for our wedding in Poughkeepsie! From start to finish, Steve was straightforward and able to accommodate all our requests, even our beverage change five days before our big day! The staff on our day even ran to get coffee cups when we forgot them - amazing doesn't feel like a strong enough adjective to describe the experience! Our only wish was for more cornbread, so we'll have to stop in soon to have some more! -
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Emily Sent on 11/06/2017Steve and his team were incredible! My fiance and I knew we wanted to do a pig roast and had passed this restaurant on our camping trips to the Catskills and thought we should try it out. It was by far the most delicious roasted pig and fried chicken I have ever had in my life! We were so unbelievably excited to have them cater our wedding and they provided excellent customer service. The set up looked amazing and our guests were going up for 2nds and 3rds with most of them planing to visit the restaurant. His staff were all so nice and very accommodating for our dietary restricted guests. We provided our own desserts and the staff helped set it up and serve it for us. We cannot recommend them enough and everyone should definitely check out there Kingston location.
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![TheRascal]()
Ruta Sent on 07/12/2016Hickory BBQ catered our wedding on 7/9/16 and it was SPECTACULAR. The food was delicious and plentiful – we had four cocktail hour appetizers: the smoked trout, pigs in a blanket, spring rolls, and the crudité. Our meal was pulled pork, chicken, and grilled veggies with mac’n’cheese, mashed potatoes, and blackbean and corn salad. Our guests also enjoyed cornbread and biscuits and a mixed salad. Steve is great to work with and we would recommend Hickory highly to anyone who wants excellent BBQ at their wedding. The catering staff, too, went above and beyond for us. We didn’t have to worry about a thing during the night. We had great servers and a wonderful bartender. Our wedding was absolutely perfect and in large part due to the professionalism and excellence of Hickory. -
![Offira]()
Offira Sent on 05/18/2015Everyone enjoyed the food. For the price, we really couldn't have found any other option that even came close. The staff was prompt and helpful throughout the event. -
![beth]()
Beth Sent on 09/21/2010First of all, this was the perfect food for us. My husband decided upon eating it that the ribs were the best he had ever had while I felt the smoked chicken was the tastiest and most moist I had eaten. The cole slaw, corn bread, mac and cheese, etc were all wonderful too. If you want bang for your buck and a get down and dirty feel to the meal, I couldn't recommend a place any more. Add to the great food local beers, organic root beer, and strawberry shortcake that was devoured and you've got a winner.
The owner Steve was great. We went to the restaurant a few times between meeting him and the wedding and we were always unannounced. Every time he recognized us and made us feel at home.
The two tiny things that I wished had been a bit different were that the servers left after serving the shortcake and brought the bar with them. I guess I should have let them know when they were supposed to stay until (when the dancing was winding down maybe?) so that wasn't entirely their fault. The other thing was that I wished Steve was a bit better with email. In person and on the phone I got answers to all my questions, but emailing was a bit harder. That being said, they were the perfect choice for us and such a great bargain too compared with stuffy catering! -
![Emma]()
Emma Sent on 10/10/2022Delicious Food, Above and Beyond Staff
We were having a really hard time finding a caterer for our camp wedding in Shandaken and the sweet people at Hickory Smokehouse BBQ came through for us mere moments before we called the whole thing off! We feel so lucky that they weren't just able to meet our budget, but everyone RAVED about the food! It was an absolutely delicious buffet of savory BBQ that left everyone full and happy! So that it's super clear to everyone: ****we provided our own cups, plates, silverware, napkins, and tablecloths*** If your venue provides these things for you: awesome. While we knew we weren't getting these things from our venue, it wasn't super clear from Hickory. The day of our wedding, we couldn't be more grateful to Brie who gave us a platter of every single thing they'd serve that night sent straight to our room after the ceremony. The entire staff went above and beyond to light the LED votives on our tables in the reception space without us asking. They put out our desserts and perfectly organized the flowers at the end of the night. We honestly were so incredibly impressed by all the ways they went above and beyond. I would recommend them to any bride and groom in a heartbeat! -
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