We came in early (11:50) for lunch on a Wednesday. If our visit was representative this place is a lunch hotspot. I got the impression most of them were local regulars by the way they talked familiarly with the staff and settled into their meal. The line was over 10 diners long for much of the time we were there.
This place is a self-service set up. The staff behind the counter were friendly. The atmosphere is what I call western eclectic: Lots of old western framed posters, hats, old chaps, etc... Our booth consisted of a formica covered table with church benches that were too large for the table. Places like this seem to be all about the food so I was encouraged that we were in for a treat.
The Good:
My wife and I enjoyed the hickory club: Smoked sausage, ham and sliced beef on a toasted hoagie roll. Â We had 2 sides each: The coleslaw and noodle salad were average with the potato salad being the standout on account of it being very creamy and light on the mustard. Â
The Bad:
My daughter didn't finish her chopped beef so I tried it and tasted an acidic aftertaste. I believe the cause was the house sauce which i didn't care for on her sandwich because of the an abundance of vinegar in it. But in low doses like on our hickory club, the sauce was complimentary, on the chopped beef it was overpowering. Â I would rank this place in the middle only because the chopped beef (a BBQ standard) was so unsavory. Â In lieu of 2 sides, my daughter had the brownie which was large but closer to cake in consistency.
We came to TX a few years ago to play golf and fish on Lake Texoma. Â A friend offered his place in Bonham as a free place to stay and we gratefully accepted. Â We needed a BBQ infusion and were told that Hickory in Bonham was a good place to go.....we got very good advice!
We returned for he same trip this week, and returned to Hickory for a fix of BBQ....and this time brought a friend along with us...4 guys, eating piles of BBQ is about as pure a review as you can ask for. Â We did not speak often, but through the guttural noises and grunts you could ascertain that raving success was at hand.
I have brisket each time I go and vary the second meat, this trip I had brisket and sausage, which were both great.  The brisket was tender, but with a good toothsome bite to it.  I always ask for the burnt ends and they were phenomenal!  The sausage was really good too  but needed to be spicier and the Texas Toast was the best I've had in eons!
The sides are good, but I felt the pinto beans lacked flavor..short of this, I would rate Hickory very high!