Spring has finally sprung in the Queen City! We were fortunate to find ourselves dining on the covered patio at the Hickory Tavern in Steelecroft where enjoyed some tasty bites, blooming buds and Carolina blue skies. It was opening day for baseball so my husband was thrilled by the number of TV's donning America's favorite past time. The patio was non-smoking and comfortable for the whole family.
The Hickory Tavern's menu cascades tantalizing options from burgers and salads to steaks, chicken and seafood. The manager explained that 95% of the food is never frozen and made fresh daily. This fresh never frozen approach is evident by the high quality taste of the entrees and appetizers we selected.
I became a little envious as I spied the bubbling crab dip at the table next to us. However our selection of boneless chicken tenders in bandito sauce ($9) was a winner. They were more spicy than hot, with a smoky finish which covered the perfectly crispy but juicy tenders.
The kidlets started creating their masterpieces for the evening with crayons on kids menu. Favorites like pizza, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, grilled cheese, turkey sliders and chicken tenders were among the contenders. S selected the school lunch pizza ($4.95) sans toppings, along with apple sauce and macaroni and cheese. We ordered E chicken tenders, ($5.45) fries and mandarin oranges. Each kids meal came with a much squealed about Oreo cookie. The kids meals were large, and we probably could have split one between the two kids. My only gripe about the kids meal was the macaroni and cheese seemed to be the from a Kraft box, which my kids (and I) dislike so my kids would only take a bite before rejecting it. The rest of the kiddos food was quite good, high quality - and I LOVE when there are several fruit options to choose from.
I was feeling compelled to order seafood with the beautiful outdoor weather and selected the Tavern Crab Cakes ($17) which came nestled in a cajun alfredo sauce with two sides. The crab cakes tasted like pure sweet crab meat, seared to perfection. I tried the small tavern salad ($2.50 up charge), which wasn't your run of the mill iceberg plus a tomato and a cucumber. This salad had some chops. The green leafy lettuce was decorated with bacon pieces, diced tomato, diced ham, egg, slivered almonds and a flaky croissant. I enjoyed the loaded baked potato, which was rolled in kosher salt and slowly baked to a state of light, fluffy, potato happiness.
My husband is a big fan of salmon, so for his entrée, he chose the Oregon
Cedar Salmon ($17). The salmon was flaky and
moist, nicely seasoned with a pecan and spice rub and smoked on a cedar plank. The entree is served with two sides, and there are about a dozen to choose
from. He opted for the sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli. The broccoli was tender-crisp with some mild
spices, definitely not your usual boring broccoli. The sweet potato fries came with a thick honey
butter sauce for dipping and were crispy and delicious – he said they were honestly some of the
best he's had.
Dessert presented us with many enticing cheese cake options. However, Jim's 'low dairy' needs led us to choose the five layer chocolate cake ($6.95), which was a perfect blend of moist decadent chocolate. We had to hold the kids off from devouring it so I could get a picture first!
This was a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere for the family. We enjoyed dining el fresco on the patio, it would also be a great spot to gather some friends for drinks and to watch a game. They met all my kid friendly restaurant check marks, including a changing table in the restrooms.
Mondays are kid's night at Hickory Tavern, all kids meals are $4, and includes their drink. You can like the Hickory Tavern Steelecroft on facebook to get notifications of special events and deals, and you can follow them on Twitter!
13545 Steelcroft Pkwy
Charlotte, North Carolina
Mom About Charlotte Disclaimer: In exchange for this review, our meals were paid for. However, our opinions are our own, and not influenced by the restaurant providing the meal free of charge.
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