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Hickory Grille offers cuisine in a casual yet classy atmosphere.
If You Go...
Where: Hickory Bar & Grille
Address: 1645 N Hermitage Rd, Hermitage, PA
Phone: (724) 962-1775
Website: springfields.com/hickory-grille/
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Calamari Diablo - Hickory Grille - Hermitage, PA
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Teriyaki Chicken Skewers - Hickory Grille - Hermitage, PA
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Bay of Fundy Salmon Cakes - Hickory Grille - Hermitage, PA
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Peanut Butter Pie - Hickory Grille - Hermitage, PA
HERMITAGE, Pa.
Step through the front doors of Hickory Bar and Grille and the first thing you notice is the proud, imposing head of a longhorn steer mounted above a crackling stone fireplace.
Nostalgic pressed tin ceilings, antique photographs and oriental-style carpets mix with plush leather sofas and the sleek, modern glow of televisions and neon in the spacious bar area.
Classic rock plays on the restaurant’s sound system, and there is an unmistakable atmosphere of casual yet classy that proclaims: “Hey, put on your favorite jeans and come grab a beer and a burger, or if you want to dress up and order sirloin and a glass of wine, we serve that, too.”
Hickory Grille’s menu generates this same combination of casual and comfortable yet first-rate and classy. Unique burgers, flatbreads and sandwiches mingle with steaks, seafood and sumptuous desserts.
I was fortunate enough to sample some of the restaurant’s most celebrated fare as well as some brand-new entrees recently added to the menu.
First up were two appetizers, calamari diablo and Texas caviar.
Improperly prepared calamari can taste rubbery, but Hickory Bar and Grille’s calamari rings were perfectly executed — crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The flavorful rings were tossed with fire-roasted tomatoes and marinated hot peppers for an ideal pairing of mild and spicy.
The Texas caviar lives up to its whimsical name by being a fun start to any meal. It consists of black-eyed peas, black beans, shoepeg corn, onion, celery and jalapenos in a sweet vinaigrette served with tortilla chips and is sweet and spicy.
Other appetizers include spinach dip, Cajun tater tots, stuffed hot peppers, shrimp cocktail, zucchini fries, crab, portobello mushroom, fried mozzarella and New York style pretzels. Ranging in price from about $5 to $11, they’re as delicious as they are affordable.
After the appetizers, I sampled one of Hickory Grille’s signature salads, the Granny Apple Pecan. This generous salad offers an Arcadian mix topped with slivers of red onion, slices of crisp green apple, a sprinkling of cranberries and candied pecans drizzled with a vinaigrette dressing. The result is a delightful blend of tangy and candied.
Other salads on the menu include the sweet fries salad, which features an Arcadian mix, bleu cheese, red onion, olives, tomato and sweet potato fries; the Sicilian, which consists of Arcadian mix, red onion, artichokes, red peppers and zucchini fries; and the Power Salad, a nutritious blend of kale, Swiss chard, dried blueberries, candied pecans and homemade maple vinaigrette. A meal in their own right, these generously proportioned salads range in price from about $5.99 to $8.99.
Hickory Bar and Grille has so many wonderful dinner entrees, but I am especially pleased that I got to try the popular salmon cakes dinner. The Bay of Fundy salmon cakes are pan-seared and handcrafted, sublimely crisp on the outside and flaky and flavorful on the inside, drizzled with dill cream. Served alongside julienned vegetables and a baked sweet potato drenched with whipped butter and brown sugar, this is a meal I will definitely order again very soon. The restaurant previously offered the salmon cakes as a sandwich but not as a dinner, and General Manager Linda Leetch said they’ve been a big hit.
Other seafood favorites include the shrimp and grits, which features blackened tiger shrimp paired with homemade cheddar grits ($17.99); and the Yuengling Seafood Trio, which consists of Yuengling-battered cod, clams and shrimp ($12.99).
Hickory Grille’s menu boasts nine big, hearty burgers. One of the most coveted is the Fireside Burger with Cajun Tater Tots ($8.99). This spicy burger is topped with honey-cured bacon, cheddar cheese, Tabasco onion straws and chipotle mayo. Served with a bevy of hot, crispy tots, it is a zesty, hearty winner.
Other signature burgers include the Topless Texan, which is topped with homemade chili, nacho cheese, sour cream and served open face on Texas toast; the Late Riser, which is covered with pepper jack cheese, shaved kielbasa, a sunny side up egg and a dash of hot sauce; and the Mac Attack, which is topped with American cheese, honey cured bacon, mac and cheese and crumbled potato chips.
If you’re in the mood for something lighter, try the Teriyaki Chicken Skewer ($12.99). This brand-new entree consists of Teriyaki-basted chicken atop julienned zucchini, carrot and squash upon a bed of rice. The white meat chicken is sweet and tender and the vegetables and rice are light yet filling.
Hickory Grille offers 16 signature sandwiches and one of the newest is the Which Came First. This eclectic sandwich boasts chicken tenders dipped in Buffalo sauce, white American cheese, fried eggs, ham, honey cured bacon, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo on a toasted baguette. It is very filling and has a little bit of everything — like a confetti party for the taste buds.
The menu includes a wide variety of other sandwiches — gyros, Reubens, fish sandwiches, turkey clubs, steak sandwiches. All are served with a choice of fries, chips or coleslaw. Add angel onions, soup, sweet fries or tater tots for $1 extra.
Hickory Bar and Grille recently added flatbreads to its menu. I sampled the White Pepper Flatbread ($8.99) with marinated hot peppers, greens, provolone and garlic oil. For a moment I felt as if I were in an Italian restaurant sampling a homemade pizza fresh from the oven. The flatbreads are generously sized with thick, crisp dough and delicious sauces and toppings.
Other flatbreads include the tomato and chicken; the chicken bacon ranch; and the Italian Stallion with honey cured bacon, hot sausage crumbles, sliced pepperoni and marinara.
The last entr e I tasted was a new favorite called the Chicken Sausage Zinger ($14.99). This dish consists of farfalle pasta tossed in hot pepper Alfredo and mixed with a truly delicious chicken sausage made locally by Badurik’s Butcher Block in Mineral Ridge. Although sausage isn’t typically one of my favorites, I really enjoyed this light, spicy chicken spinach Gouda sausage. Hickory Bar and Grille also offers a Badurik’s chicken sausage sandwich ($9.49) served on a hoagie roll with coleslaw.
If you ever dine at Hickory Bar and Grille you simply must not leave the premises without ordering a slice of the restaurant’s famous peanut butter pie. A divinely sweet whipped filling tops a lusciously unexpected crust of sweet, crisp oats and a thick layer of decadent chocolate. It is one of the best desserts to exist on the planet, in my humble opinion, and unless you have a peanut allergy you absolutely must have a slice.
The peanut butter pie is just one of Hickory Bar and Grille’s incredible desserts, all of which are made in house.
Some desserts, as well as other items on the menu, also are served at Hickory Bar and Grille’s sister restaurants, which are part of the Springfield Restaurant Group: Rachel’s Roadhouse in Mercer and Butler; Springfield Grille in Mercer, Boardman and Mars, Pa.; Iron Bridge Inn in Mercer; and Log Cabin Inn in Zelienople.
Hickory Bar and Grille opened in 1998 and was the sixth location of the Springfield Restaurant Group, which is owned by John McKinley.
Ireland-born Christopher Chiccarino serves as executive chef at Hickory Bar and Grille.
The restaurant has a private dining room that seats up to 36 people and can be reserved for special occasions such as bridal showers or birthday dinners.