Ames, Iowa is the home of the Iowa State University Cyclones. This article is part of a series that reviews restaurants in central Iowa. Enjoy!
Hickory Park Restaurant Co. in Ames, Iowa has been a staple for nearly 40 years. In the 1970s, Hickory Park became legendary for ISU alumni and central Iowans for its tasty barbecue and unique ice cream sundae .
Decor/Ambience
Entering Hickory Park feels like walking into an old fashioned station. Interior walls lined with brown, stained wood, black and white pictures, antique wagon wheels, and other artifacts line the walls giving patrons the feeling of dining in a bygone era. The old wooden foot of the church blocks the walls of the entrance way, while the hungry waiting for a table are sitting. Throughout the afternoon and evening, a host of guests rush in from the raised, wooden booth – taking names and directing traffic.
Don’t be put off by the large crowds that are often found at Hickory Park — it seats several hundred restaurants and is used to serving a high volume of customers. Wait times are usually shorter than the time they read you.
Service
The majority of visitors at Hickory Iowa State Park are University students, although there is a good mix of local residents. Service is typically above average with most servers being able to distinguish between parts that need some help with a huge board and patrons who are seasoned veterans.
Food & Drink
The menu at Hickory Park is expansive, and may suggest more to those who are unfamiliar. Visitors can start their meal with an ancient drink at the soda fountain. Hickory Park serves seasoned phosphate sodas and handmade cave shakes and malts.
The restaurant is best known for its ribs – diners can choose from pork or beef. Patrons are also offered a variety of traditional dinners to choose from including regular BBQ food ribs, chicken, brisket. Turkey, pork and many sides. The old fashioned open face sandwich is always a great choice, but be sure to try it with sliced meats or breaded pork loin.
Hickory Park also serves the best burgers in Ames. Burgers, or hickories as they are called, are made from fresh ground beef and coated to the perfect thickness. Customers can choose from a variety of toppings ranging from sour cream and dark red onion to pepperoni and mozzarella. For a slightly less daring taste, the choice of bacon and dark cheese with thickly sliced bacon and cheese never fails.
Complaints about the menu are few, but the editors warn that the onion soup french is absent. Twice the proposal was missing when only a piece of brown cheese was quickly thrown on top. Diners should also consider asking to substitute a side of fries instead, which are standard meals with all burgers and sandwiches. The fries aren’t just unmemorable – they’re so lacking in brilliance that they detract from the main course.
After dining through the dinner-menu”>dinner sorting, they begin to continue what is good for dessert. When over 50 other ice cream according to selections on the menu, which is conveniently placed instead of mat; patrons will be left watering their mouths. Hickory Park Restaurant Co. proudly serves the only Blue Bunny Cream from LeMars, Iowa “https://e-info.vn/tag/old-fashioned-candy”>old-fashioned banana split for candy floors.
Value
Prices are reasonable at Hickory Park and most portions are hearty. The best value on the menu is a mischievous southerner. For under $5 dollars, customers get a sandwich piled high with pulled pork, turkey, ham, and brisket in rich, homemade barbecue sauce with a choice of Ames state community, Hickory Park is one of the best. the choice is yours.
Final sentences
Hickory Park gets a lot of hype – and it’s all rightfully so. Patrons of the restaurant are often impressed after the first visit, but the real beauty and the value of Hickory Park only occur after sampling many of them. The menu at Hickory Park is huge, and almost everything is done consistently well. When visiting Ames or central Iowa, Hickory Park is always a good choice when deciding to dine at a restaurant.
For more information and explanation of menus and hours visit Hickory Park Restaurant Co. on the internet
