Review: Hickory’s Smokehouse brings big Southern barbecue flavours to Oxfordshire

Hickory’s Smokehouse has transformed a former Wootton pub into a lively American cuisine-inspired restaurant built around low-and-slow barbecue, generous sharing platters and warm, playful service.

Disclosure: Hickory’s invited us to a complimentary pre-opening evening so its newly trained team could practise serving guests before the restaurant officially opened on Friday 14th. The invitation did not determine the content of this review, the food and atmosphere was genuinely amazing.

We are used to trends making their way across the Atlantic. Some are quickly forgotten. Others find an enthusiastic audience here.

American Southern barbecue falls firmly into the second category.

Hickory’s Smokehouse has been building a following for its low-and-slow meats and theatrical take on Southern hospitality since opening its first restaurant in Chester in 2010. Now the brand has arrived in Oxfordshire, taking over the former Bystander pub in Wootton, near Abingdon.

After a three-month transformation, the building has become a ranch-style smokehouse complete with a large bar, Southern-inspired décor, covered outdoor dining, a children’s play area and the restaurant’s own smokers.

We were invited to a “practice makes perfect” evening two days before the official opening. It gave the newly trained team a chance to put the menu and service through their paces with a real dining room.

In a nutshell, the menu is broad, the portions are enormous, the staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and the culinary experience is built around having fun rather than eating with restraint.

A convincing transformation and a warm welcome

Hickory’s has not approached the former pub as a quick rebrand.

The interior feels deliberately theatrical, with warm timber, American road-trip references, newspaper-style menus and plenty of space for families, couples and larger groups.

A country singer was performing in the bar during our visit, which added to the atmosphere without making conversation impossible.

Our preview also happened to coincide with the partial solar eclipse visible across Oxfordshire. Every guest was given proper viewing glasses, a thoughtful and slightly surreal extra that turned the restaurant garden into an impromptu viewing area.

The smaller details continued at the table. Hickory’s supplies bibs for anyone tackling the messier parts of the menu, but these are not flimsy novelty napkins. They are thick, substantial and large enough to be genuinely useful once the tender ribs slow-cooked in marinade, sauces and gravy arrive.

The service matched the setting. The team was cheerful, informed and happy to explain the unfamiliar dishes, sauces and combinations without delivering a rehearsed sales pitch.

That mattered because the menu is extensive. There are plenty of ways to order too much, as we were about to demonstrate.

Starters made for sharing

We began with Frickles, pickles deep-fried in Cajun-spiced batter and served with South Carolina barbecue sauce.

They delivered exactly the contrast the dish promises: crisp batter, sharp pickle and a sweet, smoky sauce. At £8, they are best treated as a table snack rather than an individual starter.

The Giant Garlic Buttered Pretzel Bites were softer and richer, tossed in roasted garlic butter and accompanied by a beer-infused cheese sauce. They disappeared quickly, although at this point we were still behaving as if a very large barbecue platter was not on its way.

Then came the Southern Sharer.

This £24 tray brings together bourbon-glazed chopped smoked sausage, pretzel bites with beer fondue, cowboy-buttered corn ribs, dusted smoked wings, blue cheese dip, celery, Frickles, corn chips and salsa.

It is a good introduction for a group that wants to sample several of Hickory’s most playful dishes. It is not, however, a modest warm-up before the largest main course on the menu.

Our ordering mistake was not choosing the Southern Sharer. It was choosing the Southern Sharer, two additional starters and then proceeding towards the Smokehouse Platter as though none of that had happened.

The Smokehouse Platter is the main event

The £74 Smokehouse Platter for two is the clearest expression of what Hickory’s is trying to do. It’s the Hickory pitmaster specialty, and the word feast does not do it justice.

It combines Texas-style beef brisket, Memphis-style pork baby back ribs, cowboy-buttered smoked chicken legs, 14-hour pulled pork, Tennessee bourbon gravy-glazed beef ribs, bourbon-glazed chicken wings and smoked pork, jalapeño and cheese sausage.

Our platter arrived with fries, house slaw, Tater Tots and pit beans, creating a table that looked closer to a barbecue banquet than dinner for two.

The pleasure lies partly in the variety. The brisket, pulled pork, ribs, sausage, chicken and wings all bring different textures, seasoning and levels of richness and flavour. The sauces move between smoky, sweet, peppery and bourbon-heavy flavours, while the slaw and pickles provide some much-needed sharpness.

This is not subtle food, and it is not intended to be. Hickory’s is at its best when approached as a sociable sharing meal where everyone can reach across the table, try something different and accept that things may become a little messy.

The platter is a significant spend, but it is also an extraordinary amount of food. Smaller appetites could comfortably share it more widely with a couple of sides, while serious barbecue fans are unlikely to leave feeling short-changed.

We also tried the Smoked Tennessee Brisket Sub, priced at £16.75. The toasted roll is packed with smoked brisket, roasted peppers, onions, cheese and creamy pepper sauce, with a pot of Tennessee gravy for dipping.

It offers a more conventional single main than the platter, although “light” would still be the wrong description.

By the end of the meal, we had enough left for two takeaway boxes. Reheated for lunch the following day, the smoked meats were arguably even better after spending more time with their sauces.

That does not mean everyone should deliberately over-order. One starter followed by a platter would have been more than enough for our table. But it does demonstrate that Hickory’s is prepared for diners who would rather take food home than see it wasted.

Verdict: big food, warm service and a sense of occasion

What we particularly liked about Hickory’s was its flexibility.

It would work for a family lunch, a casual meal for two, a birthday group or an evening with friends. The atmosphere is relaxed enough for children but lively enough to avoid feeling like a restaurant designed only around families.

The Wootton site includes an outdoor play area and a children’s movie room, while the main dining room has a mixture of smaller tables, booths and larger spaces for celebrations.

The menu is unapologetically meat-led, but there are alternatives including salmon, salads, a vegetarian burger and vegan fajitas. Anyone with allergies or strict dietary requirements should check the restaurant’s allergen information before ordering, as food is prepared in a kitchen handling multiple allergens.

Hickory’s will not suit someone seeking a quiet, restrained or especially light dinner. The flavours are bold, the presentation is playful and the portion sizes are designed to make an impression.

That is also why it succeeds.

The restaurant understands that it is selling more than brisket and ribs. It is offering an experience: country music, cocktails, sharing trays, smoked meats, bibs, generous service and enough visual detail to make the evening feel distinct from a standard pub meal.

Our cocktails helped set the tone. The Piña Colada and Twistin’ My Melon were bright, sweet and fun, while our designated driver was well served by a non-alcoholic Cherry Blizzard from the Georgia Sweet Tea selection.

The current menu adds a discretionary 7.5% contribution to the staff Tip Jar, which can be removed on request.

Judging by our preview evening, Hickory’s has put serious effort into creating a destination rather than simply opening another place to eat.

Oxfordshire now has somewhere to go for smoky barbecue, oversized sharing platters and a little taste of the American South. Just arrive hungry, and order with more discipline than we did.

Hickory’s Smokehouse Abingdon is at Besselsleigh Road, Wootton, OX13 6DN. It opens from 11am to 11pm Monday to Friday and from 10am to 11pm at weekends, with brunch served daily until 2pm.

For menus, bookings and current opening information, visit Hickory’s Smokehouse Abingdon or call 01865 630190.