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Hickory Hollow Restaurants & Catering

MY REVIEW: If you think this is the one of the best Chicken Fried Steaks in Houston, you are absolutely crazy. I have ordered it on three separate occasions to see if I was wrong the first time or two. I was not. It is tough to say the least, the batter separates from the meat immediately and you wind up with a LARGE pile of batter on one side and unedible meat on the other. The loaded potato was very good, (would have been better with REAL bacon), however, that should not be the best part of the meal. My friend ordered the special, a $17.00 t-bone advertised as lean, juicy and tender. WRONG. It was just as bad. He commented after three or four bites how disappointing this steak was since it cost him a total of almost $19.00. This place has a couple of decent items, however, the CFS and steaks are not one of them, especially for the money. B*lack Eyed Pea and S*alt Grass Steak House, just to name a couple, put Hickory's CFS to shame. I have heard numerous other say the same. Adios HH.

NAME: Matt
SUBMITTED: 11/29/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/11
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Still looking for good bar-b-que close to Tomball.....we split a sampler platter: ribs, brisket, and sausage. Ribs were good, but not outstanding. Brisket--too lean, so it was dried out. Sausage was inedible....you have to start with good sausage to get good bar-b-qued sausage, people. Potato salad and pinto beans were ok. Nothing was good enough to make me return.

NAME: Tomball Native
SUBMITTED: 9/12/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 9/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I go here maybe once or twice a month, and find it to be decent BBQ. It's far from the best BBQ around, but pretty consistent, and convenient for me.

The CFS is good, if you like brown gravy (I do, but I prever white gravy). Pretty much everything I've had there is good (baked potato, brisket, sausage, salad, etc), but tonight I decided to have the T-bone steak.

Not good. At best, it was mediocre. Tough, and over cooked (I ordered medium, and got leathery well done) is what it was. Rather bland, too... I ate it, and I'll go back, but I won't ever do the T-bone again! I'm not sure, if the meat wasn't all that fresh, or if it was already sitting on the grill on low heat when I ordered it, but I was very disappointed!

NAME: Rob
SUBMITTED: 7/21/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/21/11
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We go there a lot and I must say that their food is fantastic. The sausage platter is outstanding, I did not like the chopped beef too much. The CFS is one of the best I have ever had and the potatoes are truly loaded. Salad bar is small but good and plenty. Staff is always curteous. Have been there many times and will continue to be a regular.

NAME: BBQ Fan
SUBMITTED: 12/1/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 11/2010
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: My wife and I went based upon all the recommendations we'd received from family members along w/past reviews. I was a underwhelmed. My CFS was a little tough w/the breading coming detached after the first cut. The gravy was so-so. As far as the sides, my beans were wonderful but those potato puffs or whatever were terrible.

Maybe it was an off night for the kitchen. I will try again at some point in the future as any restaurant that has Lone Star in the cooler is worth a second chance.

NAME: Christopher
SUBMITTED: 5/12/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/11/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: What a fantastic place! Went here with a few locals & some out of town friends and everybody loved it (the visitors especially got a kick out of the mason jars for glasses). Delicious salad bar, fantastic dressing. I had a great Chicken Fried Steak, as well as a few bites of the giant cheesy BBQ baked potato. My favorite had to be the fried zucchini though - fresh, crisp, and hot out of the oil.

We all sat in the indoor gazebo with lights around the top of it, great homey atmosphere. This is a must-try place, with fantastic food and super-reasonable prices!

NAME: Jill
SUBMITTED: 1/25/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: Dec/2009
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This place is great! The BBQ brisket, sausage, and sauce were excellent examples of Texas BBQ. The chicken fried steak was also delicious but the gravy is a bit more toward average. It isn't your typical white gravy. You can tell it's homemade but it could use a little spice.

The side dishes are typical of other BBQ places: fired okra, green beans, etc. The one that sets HH apart is the hot tots! Mashed potatoes mixed with cheese, bacon, and jalapeno and then battered and deep fried! Delicious! The sweet tea is good ol' Southern sweet tea (read: hummingbird feeder water) and I love it.

It's a good value too because both my husband and I split our dinners into 2, meaning we had lunches to take to work the next day. 4 meals for the price of 2. I will definitely be coming back to try all the other menu items! I highly recommend this restaurant.

NAME: kittyness
SUBMITTED: 1/5/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 1/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Hands down, this is the best bbq place in town! Ambience: casual and friendly

Price: very reasonable

We order the Alamo Plate which has a bit of everything -- and the ribs are juicy and perfect. The chicken fried steak is amazing. Sausage is too soft for my taste. And I like the sweet tea. We get the sauce on the side so we can enjoy the flavor better. I like their sauce now, it's sweet and not too tangy. The hot tots STILL rock (spicy mashed potatoe)

Try it out, you won't be disappointed.

NAME: drfoodie
SUBMITTED: 12/19/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/09
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Everybody just comments about the chicken fried steak, they are missing out on some of the greatest ribs I've ever eaten. We've been to the famous..L*uling City in Luling, C*ity Meat Market in Giddings, S*now's in Lexington...etc. But I'm not kidding these are right up there with the best. I am a rib-o-holic and these are great, since I live in Champions it's sure a handy location for me. Their sauce is very good also.

NAME: sydster
SUBMITTED: 2/14/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/2009
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We shared the Alamo meal and the ribs were huge! The hot tots rock, enough to kick my butt in gear. Chicken friend steak is pretty good, not that impressed with the gravy though. Portions are large and the barbeque sauces a little too tangy, but the place has a lotta charm. Very casual.

NAME: drfoodie
SUBMITTED: 9/30/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 09/08
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: They do not know my name, but I have eaten at the Heights and Fallbrook locations many times. The bar-b-que is okay. There are several bar-b-que joints around that meet or beat the quality. I mainly go for the chicken fried steak and the hot tots. The hot tots are large tater tots made from mashed or riced potatoes and seasoned with a little jalepeno. They breaded like chicken fried steak and deep fried. The chicken fried steak is variable as far as the "meat to breading ratio". Sometimes there is a good sized piece of meat inside and sometimes it is overwhelmed by the breading. The quality of the meat is good and they have always done a superb job of frying it.

What is truely unfortunate is that when I first started eating at the Heights location 20-25 years ago, the gravy was obviously homemade and made with a dark roux. It was so good, I would have gladly eaten cardboard covered with it. Unfortunately, the chicked stock based gravy they now make is mediocre at best and seriously compromises the steak. I still occasionally eat it, even though it is now pretty much average.

NAME: ctom3
SUBMITTED: 7/30/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/08
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: I have been to both locations and had the same experience at both. The chicken fried steaks taste great but they have 2" off breading around them. They cover the plate but after you remove the breading the steak leaves alot to be desired. Like I said it taste great but don't kid yourself it's not what it's cracked up to be.

NAME: RW
SUBMITTED: 10/25/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/07
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Their Chicken fried steak is good, not the greatest, but their chicken fried chicken is some of the best I've had. Also their Tater tots, with a hint of jalapeño, are very delicious. The prices are reasonable, and the service is good. The last time I visited i took my food to go and the woman behind the counter handed me a menu so I could call in my order next time. I will definitely continue to eat there.

NAME: Nelson
SUBMITTED: 8/28/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 8/07
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: I am not sure what others are speaking about. Hickory Hollow has the best chicken fried steak in Texas. Their gravy is made with chicken base as I have asked before. Not from a package. Guess others are stuck on the "Brown" gravy tradition. They have a signature gravy that is very popular and tastes great. Everything I have had at any of their locations has been top quality. Service is far above average for a self serve establishment and they have the best value in the business. If you want great food, service, and value for your money go visit the best kept secret in Houston.

NAME: takeoutgeneral
SUBMITTED: 5/17/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2007
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: Good Atmosphere except for a ugly picture of Oprah Winfrey staring at you while you order and a good setup for serve yourself style but below average Chicken Fried Steak. Saddle blanket size CFS steam rolled to paper thin, crust does not adhere to meat, tasteless, worst gravy I have ever tasted honestly,it is a yellow chicken broth/soupish watery bouillon cubeish gravy .I have had better chicken fried steaks at chinese food restaurants being totally serious and they were probably prefab frozen. When are these people going to realize that in order to have good chicken fried steak you cannot use yellow or white gravy but that you must use Brown Gravy. It's amazing how a Chinese food Restaurant knows this but a place like Hickory Hollow Has no clue. The Gravy is just as important as the steak with regards to consistency,taste,and color as well.

NAME: getagutfull
SUBMITTED: 5/15/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 5-15-07
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

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