Hickory Pit Stop BBQ

Brisket had little too no smoke flavor but was cooked well. It seemed to lack any sort of rub or seasoning, but was soaking in brine when served. They only offer one BBQ sauce and it is a sweet bbq, which is not my preference. They offer beer and wine, but no full bar. Not a problem, but something to be aware of. I've been told that some really like the chicken and the sauce, but I don't think I'll return. I prefer a more smokey and spicy meat and sauce pairing.

Best "dive" BBQ place. First time visit and went 2x in 2 days. Just excellent. Staff very friendly. Very reasonably priced. Highly recommend. Will return!

The food was good. The BBQ was delicious though. I felt it needed a rub on it though to add to the great cook on the meat. I got a beef sandwich and the bread was very soggy from how juicy the beef was (I like juicy beef) the bread probably needs to be butter toasted (on a skillet perhaps add garlic to the butter) to make it easier to handle. The food is cheap which is amazing! I think an extra buck could be added to the price to help elevate the dishes. I know it’s rated #1 in Evansville, but it’s Evansville. There aren’t many good BBQ places so it’s not a very high bar to pass as #1. The building is very dark and cluttered. I noticed they added led lights around the trim which helps. However more lighting is needed. The outside did not look like a restaurant. It needs a bit of a face lift. But I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of meat coming from such a place. They do have an app which is very nice I think the photography could’ve been better. Overall it’s nice but needs work

It was ok BBQ. The brisket was really good. The bottom piece of bread on my sandwich was soggy, had to toss it. Luckily we ordered an entire loaf of bread. Would be nice to offer rye bread as a choice. Would prefer a pickle spear to pickle slices. I personally didn't care for the sauce. Thin and runny. The mutton was good.

The waitress was nice. The food was not great. The bread smelled weird. The soda was poor quality in plastic cups that seemed to leech the taste of sanitizer/soap. The meat (spare ribs and pulled pork combo) was edible, but not delicious. The potato salad tasted like cooking oil to me. The fries were decent. The bbq sauce they provided was a decent sweet and tangy mild flavor. I liked the old small town diner/bar appearance. It was quiet, but i don't imagine it always is since they have a modern juke box and the bar. I likely won't return, but i hope they'll consider making some improvements. If it's working for them though, then no need to change for my review.

Great local bar-b-q spot. Best local bbq (outside of Owensboro). Ribs, bbq chicken, pulled pork were all excellent. The fries were awesome. The “soak” sandwich was interesting, but not sure I’ll go for it in the future, the bread is truly soaked with the bbq sauce, great flavor but hard to get past the soggy bread. Little dark inside, but Fun atmosphere with Otters and other local sports memorabilia on the walls. Super friendly service and very kid friendly

Hands down, the single best BBQ I've ever had in my life. I asked what the waitresses favorite item was and she recommended the chicken, as it had just come off the smoker. By God, it was the most juicy, flavorful, smoky piece of chicken I've had. I wept silently, thinking of all the times I thought I had good bbq before. What a fool I was. Luckily, there were plenty of napkins to dry my eyes off with to continue enjoying. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the restaurant was clean. Anyone in even an hour's drive of this place should come and visit, as it was a divine gift for me to stumble upon it and it will haunt my dreams, as I crave it till the next time I'm in the area.

The BBQ sauce was very delicious. Vinegar based with some peppery flavors, which made it a smidge spicy. Great fit for both the pulled chicken sandwich and the Soak which had a mixture of meats (beef, pork, chicken). The BBQ rib has great texture and smoked perfectly. Attentive wait staff.

This place is rated the top BBQ joint in Evansville. The rib is very good. The Big Bama sandwich is very good, but it's like every other sandwich I've had around the area. Halfway thru it turns to mush. The beans were barely average. The service is typical of what you would get in a bar. It's a very dark place, and darkness is not their friend.

Had been recommended by a few folks...couple guests from out of town, real hometown bbq. 1p on Friday. Maybe need an extra person working though not busy, 20 minutes to service. Finally got to us and advised "we ain't got no soft drinks, just water, tea, wine, and beer". Fine with us we were just getting tea and water. I asked if the ribs had been cooked today or yesterday and she said she had no idea when the ribs were cooked. Answers to all questions were short and clipped. We were a bit surprised by the hospitality. We ordered food ranging from barbecue turkey, a soak, pork plate, and a barbecue salad. On the latter, mostly meat, limited salad. The food was marginal at best, the sauce was not fully flavorful, but did add some flavor. Not something I would return for. Received bill with additional items added and the server removed hose. Cheap eats, not worth the money to be treated rudely. Of course, tipped 15%.

Food service Every thing every time I go, there's nothing but a good experience good food good service. I am very well pleased with the hickory pit.

Excellent BBQ. Helpful, friendly staff. It's silly to require at least 85 characters for a review.

Hands down the best bbq around Evansville. Always consistent, always delicious, always satisfying! Give it shot!

The best. I live in Owensboro and when I want top of the line barbecue I drive to Evansville and The Hickory Pit Stop. It is just superior. Great atmosphere, great service, and the prices still make sense.

The chicken was fall off the bone amazing and the ribs taste. Brisket was very tender with generous portions. The service was a little slow but there was only one waitress working the whole dining area and bar. The building looks rough on the outside but has wall to wall sports items and pictures.

My family had the barbecue chicken. The service was great and loved the atmosphere. I will be back.

Great food great people great ambience great location. They wouldn't be in business this long with if they weren't fantastic.

Absolutely amazing competition style BBQ. And by competition bbq I mean everything they cook is perfectly seasoned and proportioned. My wife had a burger that Was so close to her Grandmothers that she literally cried at the table. The smoke flavor on the ribs was perfect and the potato salad was awesomely amazeballs. I had a big ass pulled pork sandwich that had some of the most tender and juicy pork I have ever had. And the prices were incredible for the value and quality of food. We dined in and had a great time. Not many others were in there when we ate. But about 20 or more came in to pick up to go orders. This place is an absolute hidden gem of Evansville. Highly recommend!

Wow, best brisket on the planet! Tender, juicy, flavorful! Fall apart tender!!! I had homemade baked beans, super tasty too. My husband had the combo plate , brisket/spareribs. Potato salad. Connie our server recommended the baby backs, unfortunately they were all out. He wasn't disappointed with his choice, super flavorful. Don't miss this special award winning place. There were so many trophies I couldn't get them all in my photo.

If this is truly the best BBQ in Evansville, then I don't want to even imagine what the rest of the BBQ places have to offer. I've eaten BBQ in countless places throughout my life and there was absolutely nothing special about this joint as far as taste is concerned. The food wasn't atrocious - it was definitely edible -- but the best ever???? Not even close. I actually found it rather tasteless and boring. Also tried the Burgoo while I was here .... now this was absolutely inedible. Can't even remotely recommend it. Reminded me of a really bad chili sauce, which has been sitting around for days, that you might find at a hot dog stand which has a vendor whose license must have expired month's earlier. The group I was with each tried it and we all agreed it was bad. I've never seen a Burgoo go unfinished before. Maybe they were just having an off day? I really don't know. With the above said there is some charm to this place. Its basically a little shack with a bar and eating area located across the street from Bosse Field. That was kinda cool and interesting. Loved the menu which includes a Po Man's Special that consists of "bag of potato chips and glass of beer". Nothing else - love that type of stuff. But I didn't come here for the aesthetics or the cute menu. I came for the BBQ - and I just was not pleased. If you are in Evansville looking for good BBQ, I honestly can't recommend this place. Definitely try one of the other places to get your BBQ fix instead.

Picked this place because it had a high overall rating from yelp. I am game for just about anything, I love finding great hole-in-the-wall places... but I honestly cannot understand the reviews with people saying this is the best bbq in Evansville or that it is "championship" bbq. Maybe they had an off night while I was there? Not sure, but I do eat a lot of bbq, and I was very disappointed. The restaurant/bar is not located in the nicest part of town. There is a gravel lot, and not enough exterior signage to identify the building. We actually thought twice about going in, but what the hell, I will try just about anything once. The interior was simple. Only a few people eating, and a few at the bar. The staff and people there were friendly, even to strangers. You get the feeling as if this was what "Cheers" (like the tv show) would be like if it was in your neighborhood. Looking at the menu... Damn! Everything was very reasonably priced. Crazy-good prices for this day and age. So here's the bad part. The bbq itself. I ordered brisket because I would think it is a baseline food to judge one's bbq-ing skill. If you can do a brisket well, you can do most other cuts well too. The simple presentation didn't bother me one bit. Brisket, a slice of brown bread, onion, pickle, and coleslaw. But the brisket itself was the main problem, and the reason I went there in the first place. The brisket was bland, dry, and fell apart like loose tetris puzzle pieces. No bark, no smoke ring. There was essentially no beef flavor or even a hint of smoke. It sat in a pool of its own juices (which a well-smoked brisket does not do). I had to put salt and pepper on it to eat it. What I was served would not win any championship let alone be sold at any chain restaurant even. Definitely not. That being said, the bbq sauce which was served warm was decent. The coleslaw (vinegar-based, no mayo) was good. I left there feeling betrayed by yelp, and yearning for decent brisket. I totally got snookered or bait and switched, take your pick. They have pictures posted here on yelp of what I expected. Sliceable brisket, tender, juicy, with a nice smoke ring and bark. What I got was the complete opposite which felt like the frozen leftover cuttings from last week's brisket that was warmed up in the microwave. I truly wanted to like this place, but if that was championship bbq or the best in Evansville... well... you really do need to travel more.

No frills is right. This place keeps it pretty bare bones which is just perfect for me. Keep the focus on the food clearly. Went with the brisket and fries. Fries weren't as done as I had hoped and the brisket was a little too done. All in all though, it was still a solid meal.

Good bbq and reasonable prices. Good prices on draft beer as well. My husband and I both really enjoy their bbq and I would reccomend them to any one.

No frills. If you want basic bbq in a dimly lit bar...this is the place for you. I really can't complain about the food, certainly better than most chain restaurants. But nothing that is really exceptional. Still, it's conveniently located next to the ballpark and a solid meal.

It was very hot inside....food was so-so.I have ate a lot of brisket and this was nothing like I've had before.I have always heard good things about this place,maybe I just caught it at a bad time....will give it a second try

If I could rate 0 stars I would. Most disgusting crap I have ever put on my tongue and immediately spit out. The pulled pork looked like some chunky fatty crap out of a can stuck in water with seasoning. My husband, who is a big meat lover, was totally disgusted and threw it out. No one wanted to eat it, so it was a waste of money. Contacted the restaurant and tried to describe what I received in these styrofoam cups and asked if that was really pulled pork and got a crappy response. Don't ever eat at this dump! If you're looking to try something new, go anywhere else! I literally thought it was a joke at first.

Hickory Pit was an amazing experience. My Son treated me to this place because it is his new favorite restaurant. The Bbq was excellent, and they have a lot of items to choose from. The prices are great, and the staff are very friendly. I look forward to returning. I grew up in the area, so I went there when I was younger. It was nice that my Son found Hickory Pit by himself, and got to reconnect me with my childhood. I recommend Hickory Pit to all BBq lovers out there. Dianna Scott

I've been coming to the Hickory pit since 1968 when it was Jim and Joe's. It is and has been in the Ellison family all this time...best ribs n sauce ever.....:) :)

Excellent ribs and brisket. Small dining area but excellent service. Make this must stop in Evansville. You would not go home hungry. Just don't order the slaw. (:

Food is fantastic and service is great! Beyond description good!!! Prices are awesome! You need to come here for BBQ! This place is hometown awesome!! Husband had half chicken BBQ with French fries and it was as if he prepared it at home, fell off the bone tender! I had half pound pulled pork sandwich with fried mushrooms, so delicious and dressed perfectly

This is always the first place that I hit when back in E-ville. I have to get my barbque fix on immediatley. It's heaven to be home. I have always preferred this spot over the other places. The sauce is the best. Staff is nice and the beer is cold. What more could one want?

The worst BBQ I have ever had. The service was even worse! My husband and I took our kids. The waitress that greeted us was friendly enough, but our waitress was annoyed the whole time. The food was just terrible, I didn't take more then 3 or 4 bites of everything I tried. We actually paid, and went to get food after we left because no one ate anything. Would not recommend to ANYONE!

Can't believe everyone hasn't given this great little place five stars! Friendly, efficient service, terrific food. Sliced pork pit is insanely delicious --moist and flavorful. Definitely the best barbecue in Evansville, hands down.

Authentic Bbq at its finest. It's been around since 1957 and it is hands down the best place to get bbq in the tri-state. Workers are the best of the best and are very family oriented. If you want some good food around some good people you definitely need to try the Hickory Pit Stop.

Ribs were dry. Brisket was bland. Wanted to like this place, but It just wasn't good. Maybe second time's a charm?

My mom chose this establishment for my birthday celebration due to it being the #1 barbeque place listed on public tv. There were 12 of us, including my 4 and 2 year old granddaughters, 19 year old daughter, and 15 year old son. EVeryone else was over 21. The only seating was 3 four person booths in the "family section". But, if we slunk against the wall in the "bar area", we could technically not be included in that bar area and sit a little more together. Our waitress acted like we didn't belong there and were a waste of her time. And to say it's the "best barbeque in Evansville", I guess I didn't taste what you all ate. Several of us chose different options, and none of it was as good as Moonlite or Old Hickory in Owensboro, Peaks in Waverly, or Country Fresh in Sturgis. Two women started the juke box, and at that point, we were no longer able to talk because the music was so loud. I will avoid this place in the future :/

Best bar b q in eville. Nothing special about the place except the bar b q. Oh yeah the fried zucchini isn't very good, but your not going there for the zucchini.

This place knows what they are doing. Now THIS is Barbecue. Ribs and brisket are excellent. The meat is tender fall off the bone, not a lot of fat, smoked flavor with a good sauce. Top Barbecue stop in Evansville. Took my parents and they loved it, they are Big Barbecue enthusiasts.