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Hours
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–8 PM |
| Monday | 11:30 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Friday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 205 Main Ave NE Unit B, Hickory, NC 28601
Phone: (828) 270-7229
Website: https://cranfordbros.com/
Menu Photos
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Related Web Results
Cranford Brother’s Barbecue
Cranford Brother’s Barbecue is a full service restaurant in Hickory, NC by Zack and Tucker Cranford that features barbecue pit smoked daily alongside …
Cranford Brothers BBQ
Over 10+ years in the making, Cranford Brother’s Barbecue is brought … Center St Hickory, NC 28601. 828-322-1705. Cranford Brother’s BBQ. 205 Main Ave …
Cranford Brothers Barbecue | Hickory NC – Facebook
Southern Barbecue. Pit Smoked Meats & Scratch-Made Sides. Beer by City Walk Brewing. Located in the heart of Hickory, NC.
Reviews
RSHKY239
I want 1/2 chicken and they were out. Had wings, wedge salad and sweet tea. The tea was fresh and good. About all I can say good about the food. Western wings were extremely dry and tough. The wedge salad was warm baby romaine not a wedge. I ordered vinaigrette and got citrus vinaigrette which did not pair well with blue cheese. I think there was 4 people in restaurant whim I left at 7:00. Just seems to me we could do a lot better than this for something as simple as wings and salad at $33 not including tip. Not rocket science.
… moreLewis Ellis
Wings- The wings themselves? Great Flavor. The buffalo sauce ran right off onto the tray and had to be dabbed up if you wanted to taste it. Large wings, good price, very tender.
Potato Salad- Middle of the Road, good overall flavor, no complaints.
Mac and Cheese- In a word? Meh… The sauce was watery and definitely leaned into the “Queso” flavor that it is named for. The crumb topping was an unnecessary addition that had a flavor that was hard to describe and did not add to the overall experience.
Turkey- Good flavor in the meat, but the skin could have been used to weave a rope and climb a mountain. Paired well with the original sweet bbq sauce.
Pulled Pork- Decent enough. Tasted like a smoked shoulder, and not much else. The vinegar sauce paired with the sweet sauce was a good combo for the pork.
Ribs- Meh. Slightly tough, and not a lot of flavor. Unimpressive.
Brisket- Complete and utter trash. Tough, un/under-seasoned, leaning towards dry, just all around worthless. I wish I could say I could feed it to my dog, but I wouldn’t insult my dog that way.
Bread- Would be great if they slapped some butter on it and griddled it for a bit, instead of taking it out of the bag and throwing it on my tray. Overall good flavor even if it was straight up bread, regardless of what brand it is.
Service- Waitress came to check on me promptly when I was seated, she was very nice and grabbed my drink order. Returned with that, and took my order. When my food arrived, other than bringing some napkins, I never talked to her again until she brought my check. I drank all of my tea and never had a refill once, even after trying to get her attention. Multiple employees wandered by and never checked on it once either.
Parking- Adequate for the area.
Atmosphere- Typical of a “trendy” Barbeque joint. It doesn’t make up for the mediocre quality of the food, even if it does try and distract you from it.
… morePotato Salad- Middle of the Road, good overall flavor, no complaints.
Mac and Cheese- In a word? Meh… The sauce was watery and definitely leaned into the “Queso” flavor that it is named for. The crumb topping was an unnecessary addition that had a flavor that was hard to describe and did not add to the overall experience.
Turkey- Good flavor in the meat, but the skin could have been used to weave a rope and climb a mountain. Paired well with the original sweet bbq sauce.
Pulled Pork- Decent enough. Tasted like a smoked shoulder, and not much else. The vinegar sauce paired with the sweet sauce was a good combo for the pork.
Ribs- Meh. Slightly tough, and not a lot of flavor. Unimpressive.
Brisket- Complete and utter trash. Tough, un/under-seasoned, leaning towards dry, just all around worthless. I wish I could say I could feed it to my dog, but I wouldn’t insult my dog that way.
Bread- Would be great if they slapped some butter on it and griddled it for a bit, instead of taking it out of the bag and throwing it on my tray. Overall good flavor even if it was straight up bread, regardless of what brand it is.
Service- Waitress came to check on me promptly when I was seated, she was very nice and grabbed my drink order. Returned with that, and took my order. When my food arrived, other than bringing some napkins, I never talked to her again until she brought my check. I drank all of my tea and never had a refill once, even after trying to get her attention. Multiple employees wandered by and never checked on it once either.
Parking- Adequate for the area.
Atmosphere- Typical of a “trendy” Barbeque joint. It doesn’t make up for the mediocre quality of the food, even if it does try and distract you from it.
Rebekah Castell
Cranford Brother’s BBQ absolutely knocked it out of the park! The barbecue is packed with flavor, the brisket is incredibly tender with that perfect smoky bark, and the burgers are honestly some of the best I’ve had anywhere.
Everything tastes fresh and thoughtfully made. The atmosphere is casual, busy, and full of energy exactly the kind of place you feel comfortable bringing kids. Plenty of bustle, great service, and amazing food. If you’re in the Hickory area, this spot is a must-try!
… moreEverything tastes fresh and thoughtfully made. The atmosphere is casual, busy, and full of energy exactly the kind of place you feel comfortable bringing kids. Plenty of bustle, great service, and amazing food. If you’re in the Hickory area, this spot is a must-try!
Thomas Foster
I really don’t know how to start this review. I found out about this place because its in my home town of Hickory, NC which made me really wanna try this place out because I now live in Charlotte.
Most people who live in Charlotte will Travel to smaller towns to experience the better BBQ outside of the city. There are a few notable places surrounding charlotte that I’ve been to two or more times and have really understood what the pit master is trying to achieve with the handling their smoked meats from fridge to smoker to table and are involved in every step of all the food being served. I myself being a chef in the industry
for 20 plus years and BBQ hobbyist/ enthusiast I’ve come to understand a lot about the current scene of BBQ in America.
Walking into Cranford’s BBQ I was deceived off the sight of the fact that there was no line out the door. The place is nice, well lit, amazing décor, Texas flag hanging on the wall. I felt like I was gonna be in for a treat.
Unlike other BBQ places I’ve been to in the state that are doing Third wave Texas style BBQ this is a sit down restaurant and are greeted with a host and server is there to take your order. in hindsight should have raised a red flag for me because usually I’m in a line and being asked by the person slicing the meats how much meat do I want, my tray is being made right in front of me with payment at the end of the line. Choosing BBQ off of a menu at the table should not be a concept in this scene. I ordered the six smoked wings as an appetizer which came to the table fresh and hot they were good. I also ordered the 3 meat platter. Brisket, pulled pork, Smoked Turkey, with 2 sides plus 2 extra sides. typical of what I order at other BBQ places, but right off the bat when the food came I saw the brisket was looking like beef jerkey and tasted as salty. the pork was not made the morning of as it tasted stale and vinegary. the turkey sliced way too thin was moist but cold and smokeless in flavor. all of the sides where not prepared well as I got the jalapeno grits which I thought was the corn casserole I ordered because it was so thick. the sweet potato casserole tasted like boiled sweet potatoes with some crumble crust they threw on top right before it went out; absolutely flavorless. the corn casserole was more like a soufflé as it was light and airy and eggy with little corn and no salt or other seasoning. and the worst of the sides was the potato salad that was undercooked and flavorless. the tray was finished off with a slice of bread out of the bag thrown on top of my tray with some pickled okra tucked to the side which were not pickled well and also flavorless.
if you live in North Carolina and or new to the state please visit Hickory NC. it’s a beautiful town its a really nice place to get away from charlotte or other big cities. the food scene in hickory is amazing but the BBQ scene here is definitely putting on a front. to say this is a good representation of Texas style BBQ being served in Hickory NC is an insult to BBQ enthusiast of North Carolina and Texas. The BBQ at Cranford Brothers is made by cooks without pride and love and could care less about the BBQ experience that you are there to enjoy. I would give this place a hard no if I wanted good BBQ because you will waste your money.
… moreMost people who live in Charlotte will Travel to smaller towns to experience the better BBQ outside of the city. There are a few notable places surrounding charlotte that I’ve been to two or more times and have really understood what the pit master is trying to achieve with the handling their smoked meats from fridge to smoker to table and are involved in every step of all the food being served. I myself being a chef in the industry
for 20 plus years and BBQ hobbyist/ enthusiast I’ve come to understand a lot about the current scene of BBQ in America.
Walking into Cranford’s BBQ I was deceived off the sight of the fact that there was no line out the door. The place is nice, well lit, amazing décor, Texas flag hanging on the wall. I felt like I was gonna be in for a treat.
Unlike other BBQ places I’ve been to in the state that are doing Third wave Texas style BBQ this is a sit down restaurant and are greeted with a host and server is there to take your order. in hindsight should have raised a red flag for me because usually I’m in a line and being asked by the person slicing the meats how much meat do I want, my tray is being made right in front of me with payment at the end of the line. Choosing BBQ off of a menu at the table should not be a concept in this scene. I ordered the six smoked wings as an appetizer which came to the table fresh and hot they were good. I also ordered the 3 meat platter. Brisket, pulled pork, Smoked Turkey, with 2 sides plus 2 extra sides. typical of what I order at other BBQ places, but right off the bat when the food came I saw the brisket was looking like beef jerkey and tasted as salty. the pork was not made the morning of as it tasted stale and vinegary. the turkey sliced way too thin was moist but cold and smokeless in flavor. all of the sides where not prepared well as I got the jalapeno grits which I thought was the corn casserole I ordered because it was so thick. the sweet potato casserole tasted like boiled sweet potatoes with some crumble crust they threw on top right before it went out; absolutely flavorless. the corn casserole was more like a soufflé as it was light and airy and eggy with little corn and no salt or other seasoning. and the worst of the sides was the potato salad that was undercooked and flavorless. the tray was finished off with a slice of bread out of the bag thrown on top of my tray with some pickled okra tucked to the side which were not pickled well and also flavorless.
if you live in North Carolina and or new to the state please visit Hickory NC. it’s a beautiful town its a really nice place to get away from charlotte or other big cities. the food scene in hickory is amazing but the BBQ scene here is definitely putting on a front. to say this is a good representation of Texas style BBQ being served in Hickory NC is an insult to BBQ enthusiast of North Carolina and Texas. The BBQ at Cranford Brothers is made by cooks without pride and love and could care less about the BBQ experience that you are there to enjoy. I would give this place a hard no if I wanted good BBQ because you will waste your money.
Brandon Winkler
I walked into Cranford Brothers thinking I was just getting lunch. I didn’t know I was about to get emotionally baptized in smoked meat. I ordered the Smashburger and it hit harder than my dad’s belt in 1993. After two bites of smoked brisket patties, American cheese, slathered in burger sauce, I swear I heard Morgan Freeman narrating my life. The Country Spud showed up dressed in BBQ sauce and cheddar like it was going to prom in Texas. I took one bite and almost confessed to crimes I didn’t commit. The cheesy rolls? They should be illegal in at least 12 states. And the sides? That sweet potato casserole tasted like Paula Deen got possessed by a cinnamon demon. I tried the turkey just to be healthy and it was so juicy it filed a restraining order on the word “dry.” This ain’t a restaurant—it’s a religious experience served on a tray. Five stars? Hell, if we had a sixth star, Cranford would smoke it and serve it with pickles.
… moreEmma Drum
Cranford Brothers catered our wedding, and it was a great experience! The food is amazing, and I 10/10 recommend them for eating out on a Friday night and for a big event like a wedding. We were able to do a tasting with the chef, which was really cool. Cranford took care of all setup and clean up on the day of our wedding, and our guests loved the food. We also did bartending through them too. We had pulled chicken, smoked turkey, Mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, broccoli salad, a house salad, and biscuits. We also did a charcuterie board for our cocktail hour. It was a reasonable cost that fit within our budget. Clint was great to work with too!
… moreAngela S
My husband and I stopped in for the first time for a late lunch and were pleasantly surprised. We choose to sit at the bar. Our bartender Chris was very helpful with suggestions. We samples a few beers as well . We had the deviled egg appetizer, which was amazing. We chose to do a sample plate , where you build your own. We ordered the smoked turkey, beef, brisket, pulled pork, and the jalapeño cheddar sausage. For the sides we chose the collard greens ( which btw are amazing), potato salad, and corn casserole. All of it was Very good. If you’re looking for a cool place to drop in and hang out and have a good meal, I highly suggest giving Cranford Brothers BBQ a visit. You will not be disappointed.
… moreCeleste
After two visits, re ordered same thing to see if it was a fluke. The Brisket extremely dry, sauce is extremely runny/ watered down, not thick like it should be. Sweet potato casserole dry and a weird flavor to it. Deviled eggs are terrible. I will say the smash burger is pretty good. Wont be back.
… moreSimone Veilleux
We stopped in for dinner and it was delicious. Alexandria B was very attentive and she was knowledgeable about the menu. She went over the menu and made some great suggestions. We tried the Texas Twinkie and Deviled eggs as appetizers. We tried the pulled pork,brisket,ribs and sausage. The sauce on the ribs was not my favorite but I really enjoyed the brisket, pulled pork and sausage. The Texas Twinkie was my absolute favorite. I also had the Cheerwine slushie with bourbon,yum!
… moreBrenda Scott
Great atmosphere, but the worst bbq I have ever had. Everything had a weird flavor. The meats were dry. The queso Mac and cheese was not only terrible, but on the cold side. the coleslaw was bland and lacked a genuine flavor. Do not recommend this establishment.
… more