Hickory River Smokehouse: Texas Taste, Local Asset

By Sue Elsasser

PEORIA, IL - Filling a space once occupied by a national barbecue chain, Hickory River Smokehouse might be suspected of being similar to its predecessor. Don’t bet on it. With five locations and two more in the works, including one in East Peoria, Hickory River is considered a small chain restaurant, but its operation is far from chain-like.

Family Affair
Hickory River Smokehouse got its start 15 years ago in Urbana. Its first franchise opened in Springfield in 2005. The Peoria location opened December 15, 2007, under the leadership of Managing Partner Mike Johnstone. He and his partners, Ryan Louis and Michael Madigan, who are on-site managers for other franchise locations, are dedicated to operating each Hickory River Smokehouse, and the company as a whole, like a family business. That’s evidenced through the involvement of Mike’s own family. His wife, Hannah, works at the restaurant while 9-year-old daughter, Olivia, plays restaurant with visions of her own career in the business.

Management style isn’t the only thing that sets Hickory River apart from its building’s previous tenant. Hickory River food isn’t trucked in from some corporate distribution facility and warmed up on site. Everything is made fresh from scratch at the restaurant.

“Hickory River Smokehouse is a unique concept in the sense that we smoke everything fresh in-store for every day,” Mike explains. “Brisket and pulled pork cook for over 14 hours. The meat that is served tomorrow will begin cooking tonight.”

Even before the smoking begins, Mike and his team put some tender loving care into the preparation. “Most people think of barbecue as an inexpensive cut of meat that is either grilled or smoked and covered in sauce,” he says. “But because of the way we prepare it, our meat is so flavorful you don’t need to add sauce to make it taste good.” The high-quality cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and turkey are enhanced with a special Texas-style dry rub and then smoked slowly over real hickory wood.

As with any barbecue joint, meat is the main attraction here, but don’t discount the rest of Hickory River’s offerings. The side dishes, corn bread, sauces, and desserts are also made from scratch at the restaurant. That special attention to freshness and flavor sets Hickory River far apart from the chain scene, but the differences go way beyond food.

Community Commitment
When was the last time you considered a chain restaurant a true local asset? Hickory River Smokehouse is just that. Mike and his team are truly dedicated to a better Peoria. Through involvement in the Peoria Area Community Event’s (PACE) summer programs like Taste of Peoria, Rib Fest, and Steamboat Days, they show great pride in our community.

“I work with 40 to 50 restaurants at these events,” says Becky Cassidy, the past president of PACE and the chairperson for Taste of Peoria. “Mike and Hickory River are a joy to work with. You can just tell Mike takes great pride in what he’s doing, and he loves working with people.”

Local March of Dimes and Easter Seals chapters, as well as Peoria Jaycees’ charities, have also benefited from the restaurant’s pledge to share its rewards for a better community.

Competent Catering
Mortenson Construction counts on Hickory River to reward the hungry crew working on the OSF Medical Center addition for each month they operate without an OSHA recordable incident.

“I’ve used Hickory River at least nine times,” says Mortenson Construction Administrative Assistant Sharon Gates. “They always do excellent work. They bring the food, set it up, serve it, clean up, and everything just goes like clockwork.”

That’s no small feat considering they’re serving up to 400 workers on the job site in less than 20 minutes.

By pooling the resources of other franchise locations, Hickory River can accommodate even larger groups. “The largest catering jobs we’ve done were in Champaign for more than 3,700 people,” Mike recalls. “If we need to increase our cooking capacity for a particular job, we can use the smokers at the other stores as well as smokers on trailers.”

Smaller groups are treated equally well. Hickory River often serves 25 to 30 Regent Broadcasting staff members. “When they cater for us, you don’t have to worry about anything,” says Account Manager Eric Coleman. “They make sure you have all of the accessories you need. They serve some great side dishes. And they do it all in a quick and inexpensive way.”

With that attention to detail and dedication to fresh, quality food, it’s no wonder that Hickory River Smokehouse is the number one restaurant in Peoria, according to reviews on TripAdvisor.com.