Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse

What Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse does

Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse is a privately held, family-owned American barbecue restaurant and full-service catering company operating from a single location at 743 Route 28, Kingston, New York, between Kingston and Woodstock in the Hudson Valley/Catskills region. The restaurant was opened in 2002 by Steve Slutzky (a Culinary Institute of America-trained executive chef and proprietor) and his brother, continuing a family barbecue tradition originating in the Catskills in the early 1970s under founders Ma and Doc Hickory (Michael and Carol Slutzky). The business operates dine-in lunch and dinner service, take-out, a private party dining room seating 50-60 guests, and a comprehensive off-premise catering division covering weddings, corporate functions, fundraisers, and pig roasts. A curated network of 15+ preferred Hudson Valley event venues and a local beverage partnership with Keegan Ales extend the company's reach beyond the four walls of the restaurant.

The core product is traditional American barbecue built on proprietary dry rubs, sauces, and seasonings developed by Doc Hickory over 30 years, with signature items including 48-hour smoked free-range chicken, spare ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and turkey thighs. Regional sauce variety (Eastern Carolina mustard, KC-style sweet tomato, house specialties) and a visible smoke ring from extended pit smoking are positioned as authenticity markers. Ma Hickory's family recipes underpin side dishes (cole slaw, potato salad) and in-house-made desserts. The menu is moderately priced, with dinner entrees from $20.95 to $28.95 and a barbecue feast at $74.95; catering averages $15.95-$46 per person, with a $8 fundraiser ticket anchored by a 200-person minimum guarantee.

The business model is direct-to-consumer across multiple revenue streams: dine-in service (lunch and dinner), take-out, full-service off-premise catering, on-site private events, a la carte catering pans, and a Smoker-on-Wheels fundraiser program. Customer segments span Hudson Valley residents and visitors (primary), private event hosts (weddings, milestone events), corporate clients, nonprofits, and special event planners. Marketing is weighted toward earned media (Daily Freeman, Hudson Valley Magazine, Poughkeepsie Journal), customer reviews on Yelp/Zagat/TripAdvisor, and word-of-mouth driven by positive event experiences. The company is independent, with no external investors, no parent company, and no franchising.

Name

Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse

Legal name

Hickory BBQ Smokehouse

Website

https://hickoryrestaurant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse is a family-owned American barbecue restaurant and full-service catering company in Kingston, NY, serving Hudson Valley diners, wedding hosts, corporate clients, and nonprofits with dine-in, take-out, and off-premise catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Barbecue Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Barbecue restaurant
• Smoked meats
• Full service catering
• Private event catering
• Comfort food dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Restaurant Service: Full-service restaurant offering lunch and dinner with moderately priced menus. Revenue from food and beverage sales including beer and wine. Happy Hour specials on weekdays.
2. Dinner Menu: Dinner entrees ranging from $20.95 to $74.95 for the barbecue feast. Starters from $5.95 to $16.95. Sandwiches from $13.95 to $18.95.
3. Catering Services: Full-service off-premise catering including private parties, pig roasts, fundraisers, and corporate events. Private party room seats 60+ or entire restaurant and patio available. Trained servers, kitchen staff, and bartenders provided.
4. Catering Buffets and Platters: Hot lunch/dinner buffet at $21.95 per person, office sandwich buffet at $15.95 per person. A la carte entrees and sides available. Pig roasts estimated at $30.00 per person plus staff.
5. Chicken BBQ Fundraisers: Chicken BBQ fundraiser events at $8.00 per person with 200-person minimum guarantee. Smoker on Wheels (S.O.W.) brought to venue.
6. Take-Out: Take-out service available for all menu items. Extensive menu available for ordering.
7. Private Event Venue Rental: Private party dining room seating up to 50 for buffets, banquets, cocktail parties. Entire restaurant and patio available for rent.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse operates a full-service traditional American barbecue restaurant in Kingston, NY, serving slow-smoked ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket and turkey for lunch and dinner alongside comfort foods and made-from-scratch desserts. The business also runs a comprehensive off-premise catering operation covering weddings, corporate events, pig roasts, fundraisers, and buffets, supported by an on-site private party dining room seating 50-60 guests.

Product overview

Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse is a traditional American barbecue restaurant and full-service catering company located in Kingston, NY. The core offering is the dine-in restaurant featuring smoked barbecue cuisine including ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket, and turkey, along with classic comfort foods and in-house made desserts. The business operates a comprehensive catering division that includes full-service event catering, pig roasts, chicken BBQ fundraisers, and buffets/platters for pickup or delivery. Private party dining rooms seating up to 60+ guests are also available for events. The restaurant and catering operation together provide a complete barbecue dining and event hosting experience in the Hudson Valley region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Best Ribs awarded by Daily Freeman Best of the Hudson Valley in 2010 and 2012
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Keegan AlesminorOthersLocal Kingston brewery whose products 'Old Capital,' 'Hurricane Kitty,' and 'Mother's Milk' are featured prominently at the restaurant. Available on- and off-premise by draft or in bottles. Part of the restaurant's extensive beer selection featuring local Hudson Valley producers.
• The Roxbury Barn (Roxbury)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• The Kaaterskill (Catskill)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Mount Gulian Historic Site (Beacon)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Multiple wedding catering events confirmed at this location according to customer testimonials.
• The Hill Barn (Hudson)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Owls Hoot Barn (West Coxsackie)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Handsome Hollow (Long Eddy)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• A Private Estate (Germantown)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• New Beginnings Farmstead (Kingston)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Rustic Ridge View (Kerhonkson)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Crested Hen Farms (High Falls)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Ashokan Dreams (West Shokan)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Clermont State Historic Site (Germantown)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• The Barn at Indian Ridge (Highland)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.
• Black Walnut Farm (Saugerties)minorOthersRecommended venue for special events and weddings. Listed on the Suggested Locations page as a preferred venue for Hickory's catering services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Blue Smoke: New York City-based barbecue restaurant serving slow-smoked meats, craft beer, and live jazz. Comparable as a full-service BBQ concept with regional sauce varieties, bar service, and catering operations targeting event-driven customers.
• Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: A well-known Upstate New York-based barbecue restaurant chain originating in Syracuse. Most direct comparable as a multi-location, full-service BBQ concept in the same New York State geography with similar smoked-meat menu and bar/catering operations.
• Hill Country Barbecue Market: NYC-based barbecue restaurant and live music venue featuring Texas-style smoked meats, family-style platters, and private event catering. Comparable as a full-service BBQ restaurant with strong private event and group dining business.

Broad incumbents

• Mission BBQ: Multi-state BBQ franchise with patriotic branding and traditional smoked meats. Comparable as a full-service BBQ chain with catering operations, though its positioning is more standardized and franchise-driven than Hickory's family-craft identity.
• Sonny's BBQ: Florida-based BBQ chain serving slow-smoked meats with full-service dining and catering. Comparable as a regional/full-service BBQ operator with catering revenue streams, though at significantly larger scale and franchise-based model.
• Famous Dave's: National full-service BBQ restaurant chain offering smoked ribs, brisket, and pulled pork with catering services. Comparable as a scaled full-service BBQ operator with diverse catering formats (pickup, full-service, fundraisers), though it competes primarily through chain scale rather than regional authenticity.
• Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ: California-based BBQ chain offering slow-smoked meats, regional BBQ styles, and catering. Comparable as a multi-location full-service BBQ concept with catering and event services, though it operates at greater scale and on the West Coast.

Regional players

• Central BBQ (Memphis): Acclaimed Memphis-based BBQ restaurant known for authentic slow-smoked ribs and pulled pork with catering operations. Comparable as a destination BBQ concept with strong regional reputation and catering services, though geographically separate from Hickory's Northeast market.
• 12 Bones Smokehouse (Asheville): Asheville, NC-based BBQ smokehouse featuring slow-smoked ribs, pulled pork, and blue cheese coleslaw. Comparable as a craft BBQ concept with regional authenticity and catering, though operating in a different Southern market.

Emerging players

• Smokin' Al's Famous BBQ (Kingston, NY area): Local Hudson Valley BBQ competitor offering smoked meats and catering. Most directly comparable by geography as a competing BBQ operator in the Kingston-area market with similar dine-in and catering offerings.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hickory-bbq-&-smokehouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse