This is a 5 star review based solely on the amazing customer service of Amber. Honestly, I doordashed the food and it has not arrived yet. But even if I ended up not liking it, I would still come back and order here because Amber made it a wonderful experience. But I think I’ll like the food haha.
Stacy Jarrell
This was the first time trying this restaurant. I ordered the chicken and pork meal. The pulled pork was VERY dry and seemed ground up, there was nothing pulled about it. The chicken was even more dry if that's possible. We asked for the food to go because the restaurant was so cold there was no way I could sit there to eat. When the young man handed the food to us I had to ask for sauce and utensils. The sauce was good but there was not even enough for a small kids sandwich let alone over a pound of meat. The best thing was the Mac and Cheese and it seemed to have been prepackaged for to go orders from the day before. I usually give an establishment a couple tries before making up my mind but I don't think I could stomach the thought of going back to this place.
Courtney T.
Maybe? I'd likely have to give this a second shot. Got the two meat sampler platter and the chicken was dry and hard. The dog seemed to enjoy it but I didn't. Got the brisket and it was tender but not a ton of flavor. Smoked Mac and cheese was just ok. No hurry to try this one again.
Nancy Thompson
Just got carry out pulled pork. Paid $14.98 for one pound. Smaller container than usual made me wonder, so I weighed the pork when I got home. It was 11 1/8 ounces. I called to let them know. I was asked to wait, then was told both ladies there weighed it and it was over one pound. Buyer be ware! I will not return. When I crave bbq, I’ll drive to Edinburgh. The product is good, the staff at Franklin either do not know how many ounces are in a pound or are dishonest and don’t care! P. S. Only two men there having lunch at 12:10. Wonder why?
Julia Wilson
Stopped in for lunch.Brisket was horribly dry. I had to cover it in sauce and still needed to take a drink to get each bite down. Usually don't even put sauce on brisket. Potato salad was poor quality and pre purchased, not made in house.Wanted the mac and cheese but was told they were out ...yet while eating my lunch an employee came out , sat down and ate a large serving of it.When I pay almost $14 for a lunch I dont want to walk away wishing I had just stopped for fast food instead. Will not be back.
Paul Burgess
Just had one of there sandwiches for lunch. Perfect. Friendly staff, cold coke. Great lunch today. Thank you.
Shawn K
Is this place a joke? They just don’t have people that care. Both meats I ordered were dry and really no flavor. I was wanting to try the one in Edinburg but after this experience, no way. The owners need to take a trip to Big Hoffa’s in Westfield and see how BBQ is done. The staff was not friendly as well. Just terrible. ?
Will Lopez
There bbq was not cooked on-sight. They must have cooked it at a different location and brought in. Evident by watching them bring the bbq and other food in in aluminum pans. You also can’t smell the smoking of the bbq in or around the restaurant. No smoke or smell or anything which I thought was weird. The food was not the best either. Out of several food options 3 hours before it closed and did not get the order right. Oh well there’s better options out there in Franklin.
World Traveler
Great place, they lost our order, had to prove we even placed an order. Food was good, service needs improvement. Stop losing huge orders.
S T
Very disappointed!! Burnt ends were tough and served to us cold. However, the cole slaw and baked beans were somewhat tasty. The key lime pie was terrible and served upside down in the basket, looked like a glob of pudding. Very unappealing. Won't be back!!
I arrived in Franklin, Indiana early because I wanted to check out the nearby Historic Artcraft Theatre before a planned surprise birthday party in the Artcraft's Cottage. While I'd considered leaving the town square in order to grab lunch, the truth is since my recent health issues it's simply much easier to stay in one location. So, I parked the car about a block away in Franklin's nicely marked public parking (as an urban dweller, free parking excites me to no end) and I wheeled around the town square looking at my options. I really wanted to check out one nearby restaurant, but couldn't find an accessible entrance. After some consideration, I settled on Hickory Hillz BBQ, a bit of a hole-in-the-wall establishment about a block off the town square. It's a relatively small storefront and I could tell the dining room was likely to be fairly small. While Johnson County does not have a mask mandate in place, it seemed like a good majority of businesses were either strongly suggesting it or outright making it mandatory. Most of the streets here have curb cuts that are nicely done, though in this historic part of Franklin there are still quite a few businesses that have limits to access. Hickory Hillz had a level to the ground entryway with a single glass door that was admittedly a little tricky but not bad. You enter and have a dining room on both sides of you - you go forward to the ordering counter. As I approached, I'd heard something about limited sides. The party ahead of me ended up leaving but were given some sort of rain check I think. That said, there were a handful of diners including a couple of firefighters. Everyone was friendly (as is generally true in Franklin - I don't get to Franklin often, but I find it a very friendly city). The menu includes sandwiches, meat by the pound, specials, sides, a handful of desserts and drinks (fountain drinks along with both sweet and unsweet tea). Sides are cole slaw, smoked mac n' cheese, and smoked baked beans. I ordered a smoked chicken sandwich (1/2 pound) with a side of smoked mac n' cheese. Of course, I ordered my usual unsweetened iced tea and also got one to go. The sandwich was perfectly fine if not really remarkable. The bun was quite ordinary, though the actual chicken was pretty tasty. The mac n' cheese? It was pretty awful. I'm not a mac n' cheese expert, but it kind of stuck together in a weird, gloppy way. The smoked flavor was kind of nice and did give it a bit of a spicy kick. The atmosphere is pretty basic. The place was clean and I felt pretty comfy there. One of the firefighters moved my chair (which I appreciated) so I could pull up to the table. Overall, this was a pretty straightforward average meal. The friendly service made it better and the friendly people in the diner also helped. However, when I return to Franklin I'll definitely explore different options. This is definitely not a destination spot - The famed Willard is a block away (though not wheelchair friendly) and there are a couple bar and grill options fairly close along with a pizza joint. 3 stars feels about right. It wasn't really bad. It wasn't really good. It was a decent meal at a decent price.
Garry Smith
Best BBQ Ribs I've had in a very long time.Tender & MeatyExcellent!
Michael Nowling
Food quality was poor. I spent $30 on a meal for our family and ended up throwing most of it away. Food was barley warm. Chicken wings still had multiple hairs attached which caused my family to lose their appetite and the Mac n cheese tasted like it was at least a day or two old. Location is great. Staff was nice. I just couldn’t get over the quality of the food.
Jason Davis
Called at 7:30 asked for a carry out, the lady informed me that they stop taking carry outs at 7 even though they close at 8. So I rush down there to get there before 8, I arrive there at 7:45, 15 minutes before close the doors are locked and the people inside are ignoring me. Guess I'll take my business else where. Its a big pet peeve of mine when places don't honor there posted close time. Guess the guy and girl wanted to leave early.
Ginger Acres
Tried for lunch and the food was just "OK". Mac and cheese was very salty to the point I could not eat it. Pulled pork nachos were good but not worth the $$$. Dining in there is a terrible experience, it felt like it was 90 degrees in the dining room and the staff felt like we were bothering them. On the plus side the sauce was very good.
This is a 5 star review based solely on the amazing customer service of Amber. Honestly, I doordashed the food and it has not arrived yet. But even if I ended up not liking it, I would still come back and order here because Amber made it a wonderful experience. But I think I’ll like the food haha.
This was the first time trying this restaurant. I ordered the chicken and pork meal. The pulled pork was VERY dry and seemed ground up, there was nothing pulled about it. The chicken was even more dry if that's possible. We asked for the food to go because the restaurant was so cold there was no way I could sit there to eat. When the young man handed the food to us I had to ask for sauce and utensils. The sauce was good but there was not even enough for a small kids sandwich let alone over a pound of meat. The best thing was the Mac and Cheese and it seemed to have been prepackaged for to go orders from the day before. I usually give an establishment a couple tries before making up my mind but I don't think I could stomach the thought of going back to this place.
Maybe? I'd likely have to give this a second shot. Got the two meat sampler platter and the chicken was dry and hard. The dog seemed to enjoy it but I didn't. Got the brisket and it was tender but not a ton of flavor. Smoked Mac and cheese was just ok. No hurry to try this one again.
Just got carry out pulled pork. Paid $14.98 for one pound. Smaller container than usual made me wonder, so I weighed the pork when I got home. It was 11 1/8 ounces. I called to let them know. I was asked to wait, then was told both ladies there weighed it and it was over one pound. Buyer be ware! I will not return. When I crave bbq, I’ll drive to Edinburgh. The product is good, the staff at Franklin either do not know how many ounces are in a pound or are dishonest and don’t care! P. S. Only two men there having lunch at 12:10. Wonder why?
Stopped in for lunch.Brisket was horribly dry. I had to cover it in sauce and still needed to take a drink to get each bite down. Usually don't even put sauce on brisket. Potato salad was poor quality and pre purchased, not made in house.Wanted the mac and cheese but was told they were out ...yet while eating my lunch an employee came out , sat down and ate a large serving of it.When I pay almost $14 for a lunch I dont want to walk away wishing I had just stopped for fast food instead. Will not be back.
Just had one of there sandwiches for lunch. Perfect. Friendly staff, cold coke. Great lunch today. Thank you.
Is this place a joke? They just don’t have people that care. Both meats I ordered were dry and really no flavor. I was wanting to try the one in Edinburg but after this experience, no way. The owners need to take a trip to Big Hoffa’s in Westfield and see how BBQ is done. The staff was not friendly as well. Just terrible. ?
There bbq was not cooked on-sight. They must have cooked it at a different location and brought in. Evident by watching them bring the bbq and other food in in aluminum pans. You also can’t smell the smoking of the bbq in or around the restaurant. No smoke or smell or anything which I thought was weird. The food was not the best either. Out of several food options 3 hours before it closed and did not get the order right. Oh well there’s better options out there in Franklin.
Great place, they lost our order, had to prove we even placed an order. Food was good, service needs improvement. Stop losing huge orders.
Very disappointed!! Burnt ends were tough and served to us cold. However, the cole slaw and baked beans were somewhat tasty. The key lime pie was terrible and served upside down in the basket, looked like a glob of pudding. Very unappealing. Won't be back!!
Restaurantji Recommends
I arrived in Franklin, Indiana early because I wanted to check out the nearby Historic Artcraft Theatre before a planned surprise birthday party in the Artcraft's Cottage. While I'd considered leaving the town square in order to grab lunch, the truth is since my recent health issues it's simply much easier to stay in one location. So, I parked the car about a block away in Franklin's nicely marked public parking (as an urban dweller, free parking excites me to no end) and I wheeled around the town square looking at my options. I really wanted to check out one nearby restaurant, but couldn't find an accessible entrance. After some consideration, I settled on Hickory Hillz BBQ, a bit of a hole-in-the-wall establishment about a block off the town square. It's a relatively small storefront and I could tell the dining room was likely to be fairly small. While Johnson County does not have a mask mandate in place, it seemed like a good majority of businesses were either strongly suggesting it or outright making it mandatory. Most of the streets here have curb cuts that are nicely done, though in this historic part of Franklin there are still quite a few businesses that have limits to access. Hickory Hillz had a level to the ground entryway with a single glass door that was admittedly a little tricky but not bad. You enter and have a dining room on both sides of you - you go forward to the ordering counter. As I approached, I'd heard something about limited sides. The party ahead of me ended up leaving but were given some sort of rain check I think. That said, there were a handful of diners including a couple of firefighters. Everyone was friendly (as is generally true in Franklin - I don't get to Franklin often, but I find it a very friendly city). The menu includes sandwiches, meat by the pound, specials, sides, a handful of desserts and drinks (fountain drinks along with both sweet and unsweet tea). Sides are cole slaw, smoked mac n' cheese, and smoked baked beans. I ordered a smoked chicken sandwich (1/2 pound) with a side of smoked mac n' cheese. Of course, I ordered my usual unsweetened iced tea and also got one to go. The sandwich was perfectly fine if not really remarkable. The bun was quite ordinary, though the actual chicken was pretty tasty. The mac n' cheese? It was pretty awful. I'm not a mac n' cheese expert, but it kind of stuck together in a weird, gloppy way. The smoked flavor was kind of nice and did give it a bit of a spicy kick. The atmosphere is pretty basic. The place was clean and I felt pretty comfy there. One of the firefighters moved my chair (which I appreciated) so I could pull up to the table. Overall, this was a pretty straightforward average meal. The friendly service made it better and the friendly people in the diner also helped. However, when I return to Franklin I'll definitely explore different options. This is definitely not a destination spot - The famed Willard is a block away (though not wheelchair friendly) and there are a couple bar and grill options fairly close along with a pizza joint. 3 stars feels about right. It wasn't really bad. It wasn't really good. It was a decent meal at a decent price.
Best BBQ Ribs I've had in a very long time.Tender & MeatyExcellent!
Food quality was poor. I spent $30 on a meal for our family and ended up throwing most of it away. Food was barley warm. Chicken wings still had multiple hairs attached which caused my family to lose their appetite and the Mac n cheese tasted like it was at least a day or two old. Location is great. Staff was nice. I just couldn’t get over the quality of the food.
Called at 7:30 asked for a carry out, the lady informed me that they stop taking carry outs at 7 even though they close at 8. So I rush down there to get there before 8, I arrive there at 7:45, 15 minutes before close the doors are locked and the people inside are ignoring me. Guess I'll take my business else where. Its a big pet peeve of mine when places don't honor there posted close time. Guess the guy and girl wanted to leave early.
Tried for lunch and the food was just "OK". Mac and cheese was very salty to the point I could not eat it. Pulled pork nachos were good but not worth the $$$. Dining in there is a terrible experience, it felt like it was 90 degrees in the dining room and the staff felt like we were bothering them. On the plus side the sauce was very good.