Brought together by the love of barbecue, and friendships forged over many hot briskets and just as many cold beers, Hickory River Peoria was founded in October 2007 by Owners, Michael Johnstone, Michael Madigan. Offering a large variety of smoked hand carved meats and homemade side orders. Hickory River has 100’s of combination possibilities sure to please any pallet.
Hand-rubbed BBQ infused with hickory smoke & served with hearty sides in a no-frills storefront. Based on 986 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.4 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Drive-through ✔️ No-contact delivery
Address:
5101 West Holiday Drive, Peoria, IL 61615
Phone: (309) 683-1227
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Saturday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11 AM–2:30 PM
Holiday hours
|
| Tuesday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Menu
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Photo Gallery
Reviews
Sarah Watkins
My companion said the pulled pork sandwich was extremely salty and not much flavor. At $7 for a small bun with around 2 tablespoons of meat, I expected better quality. The cheese fries were bland and soggy. All in all, we spent over 70 dollars for food drinks and dessert. This was a drive-through order that we parked and ate immediately. I was not impressed. All of it left a lot to be desired. If Hickory River would like to comp us a meal in-house, I’d be more than happy to write another review. Im fair and honest. Your staff was really nice and helpful.
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Brian J.
Stopped here for lunch and it was delicious! Got the sandwich special (pulled pork today) with 2 sides (I got both Mac n cheese) and a 20 oz drink for $9! Best deal I’ve ever seen for a good bbq lunch with sides! Fast friendly service, nice facility, the food was great! Will definitely be returning, many more menu items I’d like to try! Big menu with lots of options at great prices! Very similar to Mission BBQ who copied off Hickory River’s concept but I’d choose Hickory River any day. Hands down!
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Andrea Hensley
My experience was not the best and food was just okay… I drove an 1 1/2 for an appointment and googled near by BBQ joints and this location popped up so my family and I decided to try it. We ordered the two meat combo, rib’s and brisket with two sides, the half chicken meal with two sides, and their “famous Cue shoe.” The ribs were tender but skimpy and tasted like re-heated ribs and nothing spectacular along with the sauce that tasted bottled and the potato salad tasted like you could get from your local Hy-Vee, all of which lacked in flavor in addition to the ranch beans, as if you would get out of the can from Bush’s ranch baked beans. The sweet corn chucked off the cob (as advertised, when I asked the employee at the register what she recommended and stated was on special for the day), was nothing more than corn from a can. The brisket was tender, couldn’t taste “the smoke” though but when doused with bbq sauce not as dry. On a positive note my son said the best part of his meal was the Mac n cheese and chicken. As well as the Cue shoe. I think what really did it for us was the corn bread, again dry and I mean sticking to your mouth dry and when getting ready to leave, saw a worker in close proximity from the register and visible to the front restaurant area seen eating a piece of the cornbread with one hand gloved while the other hand not, then proceeded to continue cutting the remainder of the cornbread from the pans dumped out without changing her gloves or washing her hands, absolutely disgusting! $62.16 later was not impressed and when visiting the area again will not return and find another bbq joint. Sorry but not sorry
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Duane Simmons
Awesome Food and Business. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Service is fast and establishment is clean. Fair prices and quality product. I have eaten inside and have gone through the drive thru a few times. Always been happy and had a full belly when I was done with my meal. Only thing that could make this better would be to have a bar! Keep up the great job!
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Mike Bessler
Great service, the food was excellent, atmosphere was great.
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Nancy Ridgeway
I have eaten at Hickory River many times and always enjoy their delicious food. I especially enjoy getting the daily lunch special, which is an exceptional value. I have had the pulled pork and the brisket, but no matter what, I always choose applesauce as a side. It tastes like homemade and is amazing. I also like to add a piece of their delicious cornbread.
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Debbie Haeger
Had beef brisket, sliced pork loin, potato salad (yummmm) and Mac n cheese (Creamy but noodles were a bit overcooked for my liking-but the cheese is great) their chili is awesome too.
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Alan Anderson
So the biggest problem with this place is their sauces taste… weird. I dunno how else to put it. They have a weird, synthetic taste. Also, the brisket was dry, the cornbread was dry, and the sausage also tasted weird. The chili and pulled pork were good. I feel bad leaving a bad review bc everyone was nice, but I can’t recommend eating here.
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James G
Excellent!
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Christian Ritchie
The pulled pork is good. Smoky, not dry, and tender. The sweet potato fries are some of the best. The vinegar-based cole slaw was nice and light. For a walk-up the service was excellent and the interior is clean and bright. I asked for the hot BBQ sauce, and either it’s not hot at all or I got the regular sauce. It was a little too sweet for me.
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