I tasted the best of American BBQ at the newest restaurant for a smokehouse group in Telford
Our resident food and drink writer James Vukmirovic visited Telford to sample the best in smokehouse BBQ at a restaurant the locals have been crying out for.
Some types of food from other parts of the world can be tough to get right in the UK and it can be tough to get authentic Thai, Chinese or even Indian food as a lot of what is on the menu is influenced by British tastes or the flavours and spices just aren’t right.
One type of international food which can be especially hard to properly replicate in the UK is barbeque, specifically smokehouse, southern American barbeque smoked to perfection and cooked to provide meat which falls off the bone.
I’ve been lucky enough to go to Texas and enjoy brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends, steaks and all the other goods available there, but for a long time, I’d only ever found two places that did it right: Rodeos in Wolverhampton and the much-missed Johnny Ringos in Sunderland.
However, I was able to dip my toe into the Hickory's Smokehouse pool a year ago and discovered a group of restaurants where the quality of food and standard of service is high and you are left with an expansive menu with plenty of food to expand your waistline as well.
The newest restaurant for the group opened this week on Priorslee Avenue in Telford but I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the restaurant ahead of time and, as I could bring a guest, I decided to treat my mum Diane to a night out, so we made the journey out from Wolverhampton to see what it had to offer.
Sitting on the site of the former Priorslee pub, the familiar Hickory’s logo directs hungry travellers to the car park if you’re driving. If you’re putting in the steps beforehand, just follow your nose as the smell is incredible - or listen out for the country music-heavy soundtrack.
Step through the doors and you’re met with a sensory overload with the music playing, people chatting, bright lights and colourful posters everywhere and, of course, the food cooking away in the very visible kitchen.
After getting a warm welcome, we were taken to the bar and given a seat, as well as a very detailed drinks menu, which included milkshakes both adult and child-friendly, sweet teas, winter warmers, cocktails and beers, soft drinks and some fine wine for those of a discerning taste.
For me as Mr motorist, I couldn’t drink alcohol, so I was left thinking about something tasty and refreshing, which led to me to a large root beer. I love root beer and, when I’m in the States, it’s all I drink outside of bars, so even though I don’t touch a lot of carbonated soft drinks now, it was worth hanging the diet for one night.
It proved a prudent decision as I received a huge jar full of fizzy, tangy and refreshing root beer, as well as ice and a cherry on top. Little touches like that will make me a happy boy, while my mum was just as happy with a half pint of Budweiser.
After a small bag of popcorn in the bar as an appetiser, we were met by members of the team, who explained how the evening would work and then led us to our table, which was in the middle of a very busy and very lively restaurant, full of the great and good of Shropshire and West Midlands influencers, event organisers and food writers.
