Hickory's Smokehouse Gresty Green

You're driving past the retail parks on Crewe Road towards Shavington when you spot the Hickory's sign. Inside, it's all exposed brick, low lighting, and the kind of smell that makes your mouth water before you've even sat down. The menu reads like a love letter to slow-cooked meat: brisket that falls apart, ribs with a proper bark, burnt ends that actually taste like something. Sides are proper too—coleslaw that's sharp enough to cut through the richness, beans that don't taste like an afterthought. The cocktails are decent, the beer list knows what it's doing, and service feels genuinely warm rather than forced.