We visited Hickory’s Smokehouse in Chester for my girlfriend’s 20th birthday, mentioning in advance that it was a special occasion. Last year, we celebrated my 20th at a separate Hickory’s in Manchester and had an amazing time: the food, atmosphere, and thoughtful touches like a complimentary dessert with a sparkler really made it memorable.
This time, though, we were left really disappointed. Despite telling staff it was my girlfriend’s birthday, nothing was done to acknowledge it. To make it worse, other tables around us who were also celebrating birthdays did receive special treats and attention, while we got nothing at all. It felt like we’d been completely overlooked, which really put a damper on the night.
On top of that, the service was mixed. After our food was cleared, we sat for over half an hour without a single member of staff checking in, not even to ask if we wanted the bill. We genuinely felt like we could have sat there until closing without being noticed. In the end, we gave up and went to the till ourselves, where we were met with a very dismissive attitude. No “How was everything?” or even basic politeness. Just “Here’s the card machine, do you want a receipt? Okay, thanks, bye.” It felt cold and hostile, which was really disappointing after what was meant to be a special evening.
That said, credit where it’s due: one member of staff, a bald man with glasses, brown shirt and a beard (Sorry, we didnt catch your name!), was genuinely lovely and made us feel welcome. Unfortunately, the poor experience with the others overshadowed his effort.
We had gone in with high expectations based on our previous visit to a different Hickory’s, but sadly this experience has made us decide not to return to the Chester Smokehouse. Next time, we’ll go somewhere that makes the effort to celebrate with all of their guests and treats them with a little more care and respect.