"Wow! The pork tenderloin was massive and delicious. The brisket, turkey, and pork were also excellent. My favorite side was the beans, but the corn and mashed potatoes were amazing, too! No weak links in this meal! Our server, Chloe, was awesome - very kind and helpful! This was our first time in Ames, and we loved everything about it."

"We’ve been coming to Hickory Park every year, even though we don’t live in Iowa — that’s how much we love it! 💚🍖 They’ve done such a great job making it safe for those of us with celiac — the dedicated gluten-free menu, clear options, and careful staff make dining here completely stress-free every time. 🙌 The food is always delicious (you can’t go wrong with the smoked meats and sides), and it’s such a welcoming, family-friendly spot. The manager always checks in about gluten-free needs, which really shows how much they care. 💬👏 Consistently great food, amazing service, and peace of mind — that’s why we keep coming back year after year! 💕🍨"

"The dessert here is the best part of the meal! Food: 8/10. I ordered ribs and sausage with fries and coleslaw, icecream as dessert. Ribs were a bit dry but tasted good. Fries were some of the best I've eaten. Perfect crunch. Coleslaw was bad. Not enough sugar or pepper or mayo. Tasted like eating raw cabbage. Sausage was good. Icecream was amazing. Perfect mix of creamy and flavorful with lots of options to pick from! Service: service was definitely 10/10. We were seated under five minutes, waiter was attentive to our needs, food, drinks and desserts arrived in prompt fashion, under 15 minutes. Atmosphere: 8.5/10. Nice scenery inside, almost steam punk. Rooms were dark, booth had no cushion but sat ok. Noise level was a low rolling drull. Overall, easy to visit in. I enjoyed this place and will be back to try some new foods."

"This place has fallen off the rails ever since the family that started it sold it. The new owners (private investment firm) are cheap, cutting costs at the expense of service, atmosphere, culture and most importantly, the food. 3 years ago I had a complaint about the food. I had been coming to this place for over 20 years, 0 complaints about anything. Since then the quality of service, food and atmosphere has dropped dramatically. The picture is my ham from today. It isn’t even half the size of what it used to be. I am officially done with this place for good and I advise everyone to go elsewhere too."

"Ate here a few days ago and the food was good as usual an I ordered a shake to go home, little did I know there was a piece of metal in my shake. I can only imagine if this happened to a kid."