A taste of the Deep South arrives in Leeds as the renowned Hickory’s Smokehouse brings its celebration of American food and drink to Adel.
The Lawnswood Arms was a pub at the heart of the local community, an Adel staple, but what’s gone is not all lost, because this old Leeds icon has been given an American reinvention fit for the 21st century. It’s been taken over by Hickory’s Smokehouse, a UK-based chain of Southern American-style BBQ restaurants and bars – and it’s opening on Sunday 16th June 2024.
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The story starts back in 2009 when founder Neil McDonnell came back from a trip through Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi with a plan to bring the flavours of pulled pork, brisket and burnt ends, the smokehouse scents of Austin, New Orleans and Jackson, to the UK. The first one opened in Chester in 2010 and there are now 22 across the country, with a 23rd in the pipeline in Cheltenham.
Back to Leeds and the city seemed like a natural next step for John Welsh, Hickory’s Managing Director, “We dipped our toe into Yorkshire with Horbury and Huddersfield and had good receptions with both of those, which gave us the confidence to then go on and do Adel. It’s a site we’ve had our eye on for quite a while – it’s a prominent site and it’s in a brilliant location.”
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They’ve got links to the area too – the Head Chef started out in The Lawnswood Arms as a pot wash and the General Manager, Jess Georgallis, grew up in the area. That sense of being part of the local community is important to Hickory’s as that’s often where you’ll find them, in the suburbs rather than the city centre, so they set out to create venues that you’ll want to make your local.
It’s a big site and they’ve completely transformed it, taking out almost everything from its past life, and giving it a proper Hickory’s makeover, the kind to make you go ‘Oh wow!’ when you walk in. Think comfy leather banquettes, raw wooden walls, industrial light fittings and chunky tables strong enough to hold the medley of meats ready to come your way.
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On the walls, you’ll see pictures and relics of the team’s trips over to the States. Every year members of the Hickory’s gang fly out to try the latest and greatest in Southern cooking, from fried chicken and whiskey in Nashville to hog cooking in Charleston. That way it keeps the menu fresh as they take inspiration from their newest discoveries – so expect to see constant innovation and reinvention.
What can you eat? There’s a lot, so let’s speed through it and come back around. Appetisers take you from classic corn dogs to wings, Charleston corn chips to a cheesy giant pretzel. Sides run the Southern American gamut – we’re taking barbecue pit beans, Creole spicy rice, mac ’n’ cheese, but our pick of the bunch has to be the dirty tater tots – the poutine version specifically.
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Onto mains. Burgers and subs promise all kinds of patty, dog and bun combos, with the Go Big or Go Home the definition of stacked – two patties, a southern-fried chicken fillet, bacon, pork collar, cheese, buns and so much more! They do large plates too, like sizzling fajitas, cedar plank roasted salmon and Hickory’s famous Cobb salad – but you didn’t come here for salad did you?
It’s time to visit The Smokehouse. Hickory’s have an open kitchen so you can see the smoke rooms, especially if you sit up on the Chef’s Bar, but more importantly you’ll be able to smell them too. Especially when they’re smoking maple baby back ribs – will you go for a half or full rack? The Texas-style brisket is another favourite – half a pound smoked low and slow for 16 hours and served with a pot of bourbon gravy.
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Elsewhere, you’ve got wood smoked pork jalapeño and cheese sausage, barbecue hand-pulled pork, half a smoked hickory chicken and the big lad – the USDA Slab, their flagship St Louis cut ribs imported from the mid-west then smothered in house BBQ, bourbon or maple glazes. With all that choice it can be hard to choose, but for MD John, they’ve got something to make it easier.
“If you want to really experience Hickory’s, then the Smokehouse Platter is the one,” he told us. “So it’s got all of the meats that we do best. It’s got beef brisket, BBQ baby back ribs, Memphis ribs are all on there. So you get that bit of everything. And you get to experience I think all the best bits that we bought back from the US. It’s normally so much that you get some leftovers!”
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If you’ve somehow still have room, there’s dessert. Bring those stretchy pants because the custard, chocolate, fudge, honeycomb and marshmallow filled cookie sandwich has to be seen to be believed. And if that’s not enough, you’ve also got everything from table-toasted campfire marshmallows to Hickory’s famous Fro-Co, frozen custard loaded with all manner of sweet treats.
One of Hickory’s big things is being fun for all the family, so the kids will love topping their frozen custard over at the creation station. But that’s not all that’s kid-friendly – they’ve got their own menu! You can’t got wrong with a hot dog or BBQ rib fingers, but the big favourite here is the popcorn chicken, which comes paired with family favourites like corn on the cob.
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They’ll also go mad for their range of root beers, sodas, lemonades and milkshakes. The peach iced tea is a classic, the cherry cream soda a proper taste of the States, but it’s the grape soda that is a must-try – it’s so popular they’re even starting to can it. As for milkshakes, inspired by a trip to Austin in 2015, go for a Crazy Carnival, topped with cotton candy and sugar strands.
For the grown ups, you won’t be short of choice. They have their own Hickory’s Pale Ale, alongside a bunch of US craft imports including Pabst and Buenaveza. Cocktails are plentiful too – there’s Southern twists on classics, like the Tropical Old Fashioned, alongside a series of frozen cocktails and a selection of Southern Spritz – who fancies a pineapple tequila-led Paloma Loco?
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There’s so much attention to detail at Hickory’s, it’s impressive. Not only are the kids well catered for with food and drink, they have table top games, a play area and access to their own cinema room. For sports fans, you can treat Hickory’s as a bar with the Sports Book, a dedicated area where they show live sports, from Premier League football to the NFL.
So there you have it, Hickory’s Smokehouse has landed in Leeds with aplomb. If American-style cooking for all the family sounds up your street and if a sports-loving bar tickles your fried pickles, Hickory’s is ready and waiting. Why not give it a go the next time you’re going out for food in Leeds?
Hickory’s Smokehouse, Otley Road, Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 7PH. It opens on Sunday 16th June 2024. It’s open 12pm to 11pm from Monday to Friday, 10am to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday.
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