Believe it or not, Hickory Street sits on the same ground where many years ago, gentleman callers could take the trolley down Congress to visit women of ill repute. It’s also right next door to the “original” Capital building, you know, back when Texas was still a Republic. Anyway, the legend goes that the three-story building before us fulfilled many a desire until 1976 when a fire broke loose and burned it to the ground (we have the pictures to prove it). From the ashes Hickory was erected (*cough*) on the very same plot. Because of this, word round the campfire is that the building’s haunted, filled with dead hookers looking for a john. Seriously, ask any of our old timers and more than likely they’ll have a ‘bump in the night story.’ I myself have one and I don’t believe in such things.

But it wasn’t until 1983 that Hickory Street became Hickory Street. Boasting a 30-foot salad, potato, soup and sundae bar, it quickly became a welcomed addition for landlocked Austinites who craved variety and worked in the surrounding government buildings.

As the years sloughed off as years often do, and Austin transformed from a sleepy hippy sanctuary into a booming high tech metropolis, Hickory Street was there to grow and change with it. We built the first patio on Congress Avenue…and then a second. Now 9-5ers could lazily drink margaritas after a hard day or weekenders could grab a burger and some beers after a day on the lake.

I feel now is the right time to introduce myself. My name is Colin McClelland, and I was born and raised here in Austin. I was thinking the other day that growing up I rarely met anyone who wasn’t born in Austin or the surrounding area. Spreading wings after high school, I moved away for a bit and now that I’m back, it seems you’re hard pressed to find anyone who’s actually from here. See, the same goes for restaurants. Nowadays it’s hard to find a place representative of “old Austin.” So many places spend tons of money and advertising trying to say that they’re the “taste of Austin”, buying vintage propellers and god-knows-what out of catalogues to put on their walls in order to mask the fact they have no history.

We don’t pay a lot of money to look old; we are old. But ever since Hickory Street has focused on three things: quality, consistency, and customer service. The salad bar is better than ever; the menu’s been revised and expanded to reflect simple Texas Tastes; and, our patio hosts free live music four nights a week. You want free WiFi, we’ve got that too.

Today Hickory Street may not be as polished as it once was, but what do you expect after 25 years? Our tables need some varnish, our roof can leak when it rains, but we wouldn’t be truly Austin without being a little funky. For those of you who know, before all the tech companies moved in, before the Frost Tower, Crocs, and high-rise condominiums, Austinites knew they could always throw on a tie-dyed, grab some Birkenstocks and pedal over to Hickory Street after a day on the lake.

See, our food is the taste of Austin because for a quarter of a century Austin’s been eating here. So come on down, lose the tie, and relax with us. While you’re at it, say hi to Jeremy on your way in. And your tattooed server, he’s actually a pretty good musician waiting for someone to take notice.

-Colin