The ribs may be "good", but the brisket is like shoe leather. I have found everything there to be overcooked and dry by a little to a lot depending on what you order.
Has anyone heard rumors about Hickory Park closing ?
- Thread starter cyfan4St8
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The ribs may be "good", but the brisket is like shoe leather. I have found everything there to be overcooked and dry by a little to a lot depending on what you order.
Does anywhere in central iowa do good beef ribs. Beef Ribs at the Salt Lick in Austin are the greatest bbq ever. I'd love to get something even close around here.
I want to try smoking them myself but working my way up to it.
I've bought frozen beef ribs from the ISU meat lab. They do cut them down the center to halve them. Turned out well on the smoker, tasted like a tender roast.
Don't know if it is still this way but when I was a cook there when I was at school, cooks made 8-9 $/hr. The wait staff made something like 3.50/hr plus tips. During slow times they made hardly any in tips however Friday nights or weekends they would make bank
They don't actually serve brisket. Look at their menu, its referred to as beef. I asked about it one day and was told the use tri-tip instead. Its the piece often found connected to top sirloin by a seam of fat. Extremely lean piece of meat and best served med rare like steak. Poor substitute for brisket, beef clod would be much better.
I heard the owner is a candidate to be the executive chef for the Chicago Bulls and there was a private plane flight from Ames to Chicago. Per Travis Hines, an unnamed source stated the owner was tired of being "nickel and dimed" by Ames. I wasn't able to stalk the airports, so couldn't confirm yet.
The owner of Famous Dave, who announced that his general manager left for Hickory Park, stated "I think if you look in the next few months, it would become pretty obvious. And I'll leave it at that."
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
I get the worst heartburn ever from this. I don't know what it is, but it is the only thing that gives me heartburn. I've lived in Ames for 20+ years and I have had it occasionally and it just doesn't agree with me.
Check out Jimmy's in Boone. I haven't been to the new Battles, but I think Jimmy's beats the old Battles, and way better service.
I still love me some HP, but more for burgers and sandwiches. It's tough to beat it if you have kids, especially if you have a group of kids or a couple families together. Odds are everyone will find something they like and the bill is not bad.
Maybe they should allow girls to wear something other than relaxed fit cargo khakis.
Seriously though, its a college town with college kids working. There is no real commitment to a long term career at HP.
Seriously though, its a college town with college kids working. There is no real commitment to a long term career at HP.
I stopped by for the first time in years when back in town for a wedding last weekend. Got the combination dinner, and it pretty much tasted like cafeteria food... I knew not to get it, but I forgot as it had been so long. Ribs were decent, by far the best item on the tray. Brisket was bland (clearly presliced and left to rest), pork loin was not good, chicken was dry (I remember the chicken being good, but this wasn't), sliced turkey was okay. Sausage was good, but too rich to eat the giant portion they give you. Sides remain pedestrian and cafeteria-like. Prices are incredible though.
I blame my selection (no room for ice cream!), and realize I should have gotten the ribs and chicken only... Sadly, nearly every bbq joint I've gone to since (I tend to only go to good ones) has been far better than HP...
I'll probably still keep going every now and then, but if Battles is an option, I'd head there first...
Meanwhile, GPP remains amazing in its own way. My kids had it for the first time and called it the "Pizza of cheese!" In fact, they chanted it for 30 seconds.
I blame my selection (no room for ice cream!), and realize I should have gotten the ribs and chicken only... Sadly, nearly every bbq joint I've gone to since (I tend to only go to good ones) has been far better than HP...
I'll probably still keep going every now and then, but if Battles is an option, I'd head there first...
Meanwhile, GPP remains amazing in its own way. My kids had it for the first time and called it the "Pizza of cheese!" In fact, they chanted it for 30 seconds.
Pretty sure that was sarcasm.
'Name only' thread titles without leading to what the thread is actually about is not only misleading and unclear but basically imo is just click bait, which is annoying.
Haven't been to Hickory Park for years but it's a staple. I feel like I've read about other places in Ames opening up that are more interesting/better.
Just ate at Jimmy's for the second time last week. After serving our meals, the waitress returned for what I thought would be the obligatory, "how is everything?" Nope ... seh left our ticket and asked if we wanted a box. The table wasn't clean, and no utensils were given ... we had to ask. So as far as service ... not the best. The food was not as good as Hickory Park's either.
Sorry, Jimmy's ... but it's the truth.
A crappy employee that makes $10/hr is still a crappy employee if they make $15/hr. Money doesn't make people better employees.
Well first you fire the crappy ones and hire good ones whether at 10 or 15. Money doesn't make employees better but it does do a decent job at retaining employees.
My niece worked as a server at Hickory Park during college. Seemed to enjoy it a lot and grew to be good friends with the other servers. One thing that amazed me was that she was in training for at least a week in the summer, might have been two. Just seemed crazy because every waitress job I ever had, they just threw you into it. She was paid during training, so if you lose staff that is probably an expensive proposition.
