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Categories: Barbeque, Southern, Music Venues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Flatiron28th St-Broadway (R, W)
23rd St-6th Ave (F, V)
23rd Street (PATH)
Mon-Wed. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Turn up the passion and order an additional Pyrat Rum Shooter! Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion!
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Tip: Forget about the lean brisket. You're at a barbeque! Moist brisket, definitely.
I've been to Hill Country a handful of times over the past few years, and have never been impressed. Food is solid though a bit pricey. I returned this week for their Monday night all-you-can-eat recession special, and thought it was a fun experience.
First off, everyone in your party has to do AYCE. Once seated, the waitstaff will bring on the meat. This only includes the chicken, pork ribs, and brisket... but it does make an impressive pile on the table. Everyone gets to pick a couple of sides to start (a few sides were $2 extra), and then the pig out begins.
Our waitress was really good about coming over often to check if we wanted any extra food brought out to us. We definitely ordered additional meats and sides, and ate until we were in a meat coma.
Not a bad deal overall, and fun for groups.
The best thing Hill Country has going for it is the atmosphere and the way you get your food. But if you've been in the South and been to some real BBQ joints, you know, those two things always fall by the wayside at a place that has some tasty tasty BBQ. The food should come first, for that is what makes the big eatin' crowd come back and get BIG.
I like the line aspect of how you get your food: you get a Meal Ticket and whatever you order gets noted on that. You take that up to the central Meat-Gettin'-Spot™ and pick your animal (pay by the pound, so you can get as much or as little as you want - a nice touch on the service), then get on another line to getcha' sides, y'all. (Note: They don't do pulled pork: this is a Texas joint).
The brisket is good (had both the moist and the lean). They were both fairly moist, but of course the "moist" was "moist-i-er" (read: more fatty). The wings were well flavored: not spicy but spiced. I'm not a huge fan of the BBQ sauce here: it's very vinegar based, but nothing special. And I think that is the greatest short falling of the place: the meat is cooked nicely, but it leaves a little lacking in the flavor department.
The chili side was decent as was the cornbread. The Beer Baked Beans were nothing special, but had a nice ham flavor, so I would get them again. The Bucket of 6 Lone Stars for $20 during Happy Hour is a minor savings. Overall, the prices are a bit high, and that may be the Manhattan influence, but for your dollars worth, I still expect/want more.
Overall, Hill Country isn't the best BBQ in NYC. It's definitely worth a try, but it will not become a regular destination for me (I may come back if someone really wants to go and we are in this part of town). It's far superior to Dallas BBQ, but not quite at the level of Dinosaur BBQ.
Hill Country is the worst BBQ for the money in NYC.
I love Daisy May's BBQ,
Anyways, back to Hill Country...
For $15 I had a small BBQ brisket sandwich (completely saturated in vinegar, while I like vinegar BBQ this was WAY too much), small Bourbon sweet potato mash (not flavorful at all), a terrible sweet tea (tastes nothing like southern sweet tea), and 2 pieces of corn bread (just ok... sadly the best part of the meal).
I've been here twice, and both times I thought the food looked tired and reheated (some under heat lamps).
Good NYC BBQ is a very rare find, unfortunately Hill Country is just another example of bad BBQ.
Hill Country's much-hyped Central Texas authenticity is a little trumped up, I found. As a native of San Antonio, I was looking forward to a little taste of my home town, especially since they serve Bluebell Ice Cream.
They get the atmosphere right. From the Top 40 C&W hits on the muted stereo to the wooden flooring and Lone Star signs, Hill Country feels like an (admittedly upscale) take on a place that might conceivably exist in San Antonio or Austin. The men's room walls are decorated with pages from a vintage high school year book depicting football players from Luling and New Braunfels -- nice attention to detail.
The food is another story. It was hard to find fault with the meat, which is succulent and juicy, though perhaps not quite Texas level good. "Quesadillas" and other Tex-Mex staples are, unsurprisingly, hollow versions of themselves gussied up for the NYC palate, and seem not at all authentic. Sauce is, in general, pretty good, though not nearly spicy enough. Sides are also pretty delicious, but again, much fancier versions of what you'd actually be eating at Kreuz Market, for example.
The prices are on the high side, even for Manhattan. I ordered the Blue Bell Ice Cream, and I understand it's expensive to import it, but spending $35 on barbecue just doesn't feel like much of a homecoming at all.
Hill Country is a loving re-creation of a Texas Hill country barbecue joint. (Kreuz Market in Lockhart in particular) and does bring back memories of my time at U.T. Austin. It is a bit funny to think of how much money they spent to give some of the feeling of beeing in a cheap a hill country shack - but it was still fun. The local Texas exes (the UT alumni association) come here to watch the Longhorn's football games - so that provides some indicator of authenticity.
The meats we tried were all excellent to very good and worthy of five stars. The chicken was incredibly moist and drew raves all around the table. The beef rib was solid and and the lean brisket was just right. Everything was well smoked and well flavored. Sausages, shipped from Kreuz market were awesome!
The sides weren't up to the meats in quality. Only the collards were stellar with vinegar and a nice bit of heat. The beans were a little too sweet and the sweet potatoes were pleasant, but nothing special.
The sauce, despite certification from the govenor of Texas to the contrary, was mediocre - it was nice on the chicken, but detracted from the meat. If you want to add flavor to the beef or pork, go with the shaker on the table which contains a nice salted rub.
The service was weak. The waitress forgot my beer and when finally we flagged her down to remind her, she went and got the beer without comment or apology.
Prices are on the high side. The best way to get a reasonable bang for your buck is to get a combo. The 25 dollar pit boss combo gives you two sides, 1/4 chicken, dry brisket, a beef rib and a pork rib - plenty of food for one and enough for two with a little supplement. Another combo gives you a side, a 1/4 chicken and a pork rib for 14 dollars. Ordering a la cart will set you back fast. Sides are all over 5 dollars for a modest portion. Sausages are 6 and 6.50 for fairly small ones.
I'll be back, but it is not likely I'll likely try a different place next time I'm in Manhattan.
Hill Country provides its patrons with many types of tasty barbecue, buckets of PBR, and plenty of large televisions in its downstairs room - all good things.
Having said that... my experience there tonight ensures that I will likely not return. After some confusion over whether my friends and I would participate in their $25 all you can eat deal (some of us had already ordered, admittedly confusing things), we were assured by the hostess that everything was fine and she'd speak to the manager to confirm. We never heard back from her (on this issue, nor on my non-pork eating friend's substitution of the pork ribs for the not-part-of-the-deal beef ribs), so we just assumed it all went to plan.
Apparently not. When we asked why we'd been charged for the beef ribs in addition to the all-you-can-eat price, we were told by the waitress they were not part of the deal. We asked to speak to the manager, who told us they were not part of the deal. When she brought the hostess over, the hostess backpedaled, saying she'd never actually confirmed that she'd okay'd it with the manager and since she hadn't physically come back to tell us this, we should have no reason to have thought that the substitution was okay. Really??
Additionally, when my friend reminded the manager that she'd specifically told him that the food on his plate was okay by her and that he could go ahead with the all-you-can-eat anyway, she changed her story, which basically resulted in her calling him a liar to his face.
We were obviously pretty pissed. The $10(!) was not the issue; it was that we'd been told what we'd ordered was okay by more than one person working at the restaurant, and now each one of them was changing her story. And if that weren't enough, after we gave the manager our credit cards to simply end this fiasco, while still insisting that we were still right in principle, the hostess proceeded to throw our credit cards back at us and told us to leave.
Yeah, don't think I'll be headed back there anytime soon. Thanks to the manager at Hill Country, who, over $9.35 has ensured the loss of business by 4 individuals and that everyone on Yelp knows the true meaning of "customer service" at the restaurant.
Do you believe that the stars at night are big and bright *clap clap clap clap* deep in the heart of Texas? Are all of your exes from there? Or maybe you've been in a coma for the past 15 years and remember just one thing: the Alamo? You'll fit right in at Hill Country . . . but it's just such a hassle to eat here. Wait for a table, get up from said table and wait in line for food, wait for your server to finally take your drink order. I know things are slower in the south, but come on. Way too much waiting involved for what turned out to be good, but not MMM MMM GOOD food.
I had two big pork spare ribs (about $8.75) which were very well-seasoned and really tasty. The boyfriend had a half chicken which was also quite good and super juicy (around $10, I think). But for me, it's all about the sides and my mouth was watering at the thought of corn pudding and bourbon sweet potato mash, *drool*. I was disappointed though; they were good, but let's just say that I'm glad Thanksgiving is next week and I can eat my mom's much better. more flavorful versions. I agree with everyone else - a bit too pricey for what it is. I'd go back if it were cheaper.
Though the whole place made me feel a bit like I was at the Country Bear Jamboree in Disneyland, I can see how it could be a fun place to go with a big group of friends.
What's the big deal? This is one of my few reviews that don't have any conditional stars or caveats. It is definitely a straight two star joint.
People have been telling me to check this place out for months. Thus, I grabbed a group of old friends and had our periodic get together here.
First off, I am not to good or fancy to get up and get my own food. If the food is quality, I'll go through a lot. Of course, BBQ always looks good. Juice, Sauce, and Grease dripping off of slabs of meat always looks appetizing.
But, the food is why this place gets a two star rating based on: a) Meat; b) Sides; and c) Drinks & Service.
a) Meat: Basically, i think my friends were way too nice, not speaking up that the food was incredibly underwhelming. A good BBQ shouldn't require a lot of extra "after the fact" sauce. But here, it's pretty much a necessity. I'm not sure where the people who reviewed this place well are from, but they really haven't had enough good BBQ. Some of the meat is overly dry and underseasoned. This place fails in the "share" factor. When someone has a good plate, our first reaction is "you should try this!" Our food stayed completely on our own plate that night.
b) Sides: C'mon. This is a BBQ joint. Your sides should make me feel guilty for weeks at the caloric intake of a side. Where's the butter? The Cream? The oil? The sides were nothing to rave about, save an almost tasty sweet potato mash.
c) Drinks & Service: OK. If I'm not going to like the food, keep me buzzed enough to not notice. We waited the entire night for another round, after drinks already were 'forgotten' to be delivered. This is a BBQ joint, so the beer requests should keep coming. We ended up waiting for so long for another round, we said "forget it" and left. This place lost a star at that moment.
This place is not cheap, which is really what cuts into their star count. I'd like this place if it was about half as expensive, and without the hassle.
Recommendation? Skip this place. Hop on the 1 train up to Harlem to Dinosaur BBQ. Better food, better sides, brought to your table. A friend's birthday turned me on to this place.
Side Note: Blue Ribbon in Boston, MA is half the price and three times as good. Check it out if you get a chance.
Sorry Hll Country, you failed this Foodie.
BLUE BELL ICE CREAM!!!
You know what I'm talking about, southerners. As the only place in the city that caters to my secret cravings for Original Vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream (if you want crazy flavors, go to Ben & Jerry's), Hill Country gets that extra +star. Meat is just an appetizer.
Grab a partner and get ready to dosado! This restaurant has a country set up and serves all that good barbecue-esque styled food your heart desires.
The set up is quite different: you receive a card and take it with you upstairs to where the food is being served. You can choose from various meats where cost is determined by weight. You may want to share with someone and get smaller amounts of various meats. You also have a choice of many side options...mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, etc. Your card is marked depending on what you order.
During your meal, don't mistakenly think that your card is a rib and devour it because you will need it at the end to take with you to pay at the registers near the front of the restaurant.
One of the best barbecue places I've had. The brisket moist is to kill for. Their corn bread is also really good. As are the pork ribs... and market chicken. Can you tell I really like this place?
One tip - if you come here during the week, it's actually not that hard to find parking nearby. If you come here on weekends, or Thurs/Fri nights, then get here early. The wait can be long.
Another tip - they usually sell gift certificates on http://Restaurants.com. $25 value for $2-$3. Definitely look into that, as this place isn't cheap.
I'm usually not a big fan of bbq. Since I don't eat beef, my friends also don't ask me to go to bbq restaurants. However, one of my friends FORGOT and decided to take me to Hill Country last week. I'm glad he did.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and setup... even though I was slightly intimidated by the massive crowd (I mean yes it was a Saturday night but it was also POURING outside) and the strange meal ticketing system. It was fun though. The crowd also seemed to be in good spirits.
I ordered the pork chop and a 1/4 chicken and my friend (finally realizing that I don't eat beef) ordered some ribs. The pork chop was well seasoned but a bit tough, but the chicken was delicious! It was tasty and also NOT overcooked at all. I got white meat, which is the easiest thing to overcook, and it was really tender! My sweet potato was also very good. I finished the whole thing even though I was really full. The service was also wonderful - although it was a bit excessive being asked for our drinks 3 times in 5 minutes, but that's ok - and everyone was very attentive.
It seems this place is very popular for birthday celebrations. We had at least 4-5 of them around us during the 1.5 or so hours that we were sitting down, generally celebrating with singing and a candled-cupcake. It was very cute.
The only issue is that they have to do something to make the "check out" process faster. There was a HUGE line waiting to pay and of the 3 cash registers, only one was open. I like the theme part, but I think if things can go little faster it would be even better.
Move over Fette Sau, you've got some company with Hill Country.
Hill Country reminds me of the Billyburg BBQ spot, but on a scale that's about 100x bigger! The set up at HC is the same as FS, you go up to a counter and order how much meat by the pound you want. Then there's another counter where you order sides. Although HC doesn't have the massive amount of whiskey, rye that FS has, HC does offer Lone Star beer (yes, I know it's not on the same par, but it's nice to know a place that sells Texas beer, not that I'm from Texas or anything).
Be careful in how much food to order, the price can really add up. Better to go as a group.
Also, there's a downstairs area where bands perform. I didn't see one the night that I went this week, but perhaps next time.
So in closing, go to HC if you like BBQ. You won't be disappointed.
Delicioussss foood here! Definitely recommended =)
I came here with my roommates on Saturday night. If you're coming here on a weekend you might want to make a reservation for dinner as the wait can be pretty long otherwise. Inside it felt like we were eating on a ranch of some sort, and you order from two counters, cafeteria-style. Meat on one counter, sides and trimmings on the other. I tried the beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage for the meat and the mac and cheese, green bean casserole, corn pudding (which is a sort of gelatinous corn casserole type dish), german potatoes, and deviled eggs for the sides. I loved almost everything I tried, but for the sides I would say the corn pudding was probably my favorite, and I could have done without the deviled eggs as they weren't the best in my opinion.
Definitely give this place a try!
Hill Country is a good place to eat ribs and other foods like Mac and Cheese and pulled barbeque beef. However, in all honesty, it's also one of the most stripped-down rip-offs in the city for what you actually get.
Yes, the barbeque is good for the most part, but the brisket is unimpressive. The mac and cheese - something that i was told was the most amazing thing - used what tasted like cheap pasta and the cheese didn't really work. It just wasn't good. The chilli? Eh. The beer-can chicken? Sub-standard.
And, for really messy food, they make you go and pick it up yourself, then serve it on paper. They make you get your own cutlery. Essentially they have a really expensive restaurant where the service is there only for drinks (and isn't particularly good/enthusiastic/friendly). I'd write more, but that says everything about it.
I need plates. I need cutlery at my table.
And I don't need to pay $8.50 for a mac and cheese smaller than could barely fill a pocket in my jeans.
This place is pretty good but I say that without having experienced other bbq places and certainly not any Texas original. My group of friends picked this place because it could accomodate a larger group of people and was casual enough for that large group to be talking all at once. I enjoyed the experience, and can't say that my wallet hurt too much afterwards. The pitmaster combo was too much for myself and another girl to share and the ice tea comes in huge jars. We shared our food with others and still had leftovers. The bbq wasn't amazing but it was good eating. The slaw side was good, but the "german" potato salad had too many jalapenos. Tried someone's bourbon yams and corn soo yummy. I got the Frozen Mexican cocktail for dessert and it was kind of a weird spiked milkshake. The desserts at the dessert station looked a lil sad. At ten there was live country music playing, I had to pretend I didn't like it but really I just wanted to get up and dosedo.
This is as close a you can get to a Texas Hill Country BBQ in the City. Think The Salt Lick.
The pork ribs are to die for. the brisket is outstanding. The sides rock.:
-- corn pudding, warm potato salad, green bean casserole, mac & cheese
The Kreuz Jalapeno sausage is the best sausage in the City.
Plus Big Red soda, Bluebell ice cream, lone star beer. This is Texas.
Go on a sunday and catch the Cowboys on the big screen.
In all of my travels I have never been to a more expensive BBQ restaurant than Hill Country. Frankly I can't even remember noticing the price of a BBQ meal before my first lunch at Hill Country and, as someone from KC who's spent the last 20 years in NY/LA/Chicago, I've tried countless BBQ restaurants. I went back three times and no matter how I seemed to change my order it always ended up being around $25 (without table service!). It's amazing that they charge so much as they are within a few blocks of RUB and Blue Smoke - both of which do great, appropriately priced Q.
Sure, HC's food is good - though I would def give Daisy Mae's/Fette Sau/Dinosaur higher rankings depending on what you're ordering - but the price ruins it. Tellingly you can save your receipt for 10% off your next lunch. If they change that to 30% it might get close to being appropriately priced. Otherwise I would steer clear.
A failure, greasy, malodorous
Never has meat clung so fearfully to bone. Perhaps it was afraid of heat without smoke, of a cooking process that seized up its muscle without injecting any flavor whatsoever.
I don't like to write negatively of a place I've only eaten once, but I tried several things at Hill Country, and they all missed the mark. Two beef ribs were $5's worth of bone and $0.99 of gristle. Equally tough pork ($3.24) was all peppercorn and oil with no natural flavor. Corn pudding ($5) was like gum below a crust of dried paste.
When it comes to college football watching, these guys could fuck up a wet dream.
Yeah, the food's good. Yeah, I get what they're doing. Yeah, I appreciate the details like Kreutz sausage, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Big Red, Lone Star the Lockhart yearbook pages on the wall and the Texas Monthly covers.
But seriously. I made a reservation months ago for watching last night's Tech-Texas game. Got there early with my ~65 year old parents in tow. And was greeted to a crowd of about 200 people standing in an area the size of my apartment. 200 people with no goal. No plan was explained. Some people were staying there at the bar. Some of us wanted to be seated at our table.
Did I mention there were a whole lot of empty tables clearly in sight from said teeming mass of people?
FInally, after standing in this mass for an hour, they get to our reservation. We are led to the basement to find our table in in the corner. Half the table will be able to crane their necks to see one TV above the bar. The other half is SOL. Also, this shit show took so long, we missed kickoff.
My experience was so bad, I am in the process of making all my current one star reviews into two star reviews, just so this is my only one star review.
For shame Hill Country. For shame.
Have you been so worn down by bad NYC barbeque that you've given up hope? Well, the food here's pretty darn good. By NYC barbeque standards, it's spectacular.
But here's the thing, I just don't think you should ever leave with a $50 solo tab and still be hungry. What does $50 get you here? 2 pork ribs, a few pieces of brisket, a sweet tea and baked beans and corn bread + tip. I mean, listen, I love that there's above average barbeque in the city and downtown, but it's not like I'll be in a hurry to go back.
Good for manhattan but I've definitely had better.... there's a better bbq place off the F train @ Borough Hall/Jay st and its off of Smith St (i think) can't remember the name.
I think the chicken was very good... juicy!
Sausage was different b/c it's got black pepper in it...
Brisket was good but nothing spectacular...
Again, its good for Manhattan as there are few bbq places. I'd say its better than "Southern Comfort" (Justin Timberlake's ) restautant but not as good as the one in Brooklyn which I can't think of the name right now.
One of the best bbq's I've had is a place called Lucilles in Brea, CA as a reference.
Either way...our waitress had huge tits and it was nice to look at. Although the girls at Southern Comfort are cuter... hahaha
the brisket was done just right and served with plain white bread, just like they do it back home in the lone star state. their bbq sauce sucks, though- fortunately, you don't really need it for the brisket.
the sides were all "eh" except for the corn casserole - that's the only one worth mentioning.
i'd say it's a solid 2 star because it's grossly overpriced for what it is (especially the side orders), but i gave it 3 because they have big red soda and blue bell ice cream... and i'm just homesick enough for that to be a big deal for me.
I visited a few months ago and they had a Short Rib special!! Incredible!!
I only hope that they have it when you visit. I loved it!
I was somewhat surprised to see the mixed reviews of this restaurant. Although it definitely has some shortcomings, like a very small and cramped bar area up front, very poor acoustics, and a single line to pay at the end (which can get very long), this is some of the best barbecue in the city.
In my opinion, there are only 2 meats to order here - the brisket and the chicken. Although the fatty brisket is awesome, I can't in good conscience eat more than a bite of it. The lean brisket has plenty of marbling and is extremely flavorful. Their chicken is extremely moist and tender. As far as people complaining about price - you can easily get a quarter chicken and a quarter pound of brisket for like $12 - the food is weighed. There are no surprises when the bill comes because everything is marked off on your meal ticket.
As far as the other meats, I'm not a huge fan of the beef ribs. Too fatty and not enough flavor. I prefer the Kreuz jalapeno sausage to the regular, but I don't really get the hype about it. The pork chop is also unremarkable.
If there are any complaints about price, I can possibly see it with respect to the side offerings because they can get expensive. Overall though, the sides are excellent. You cannot go wrong with the corn pudding, string bean casserole, mac and cheese or black eyed caviar.
This place is great for groups since it is cafeteria style and there are no issues over splitting a bill - if you have one of those in your group.
This is a place I've been meaning to try out since I'm a fan of IFC's Z Rock. By any measure this is a huge space, great for large groups. It was a tad confusing how to actually get served because one has to get in a designated line to be served a particular item, meats, sides, etc. I would call it Chinese Fire drill dining. I had to get in line more than once due to the confusion.
We ordered the Kreuz sausage and 'brisket moist'. Both were super fatty even greasy but the brisket was flavorful. Strips of brisket seemed to be nothing more than gristle, no chewing necessary. I wouldn't get the sausage again. It was simply way too greasy to enjoy. The sides we got were the cornbread and Shoepeg corn pudding, both were outstanding.
I had the lemonade which was lame, tasted like a powder mix. Why not make fresh lemonade or limeade? Nothing is better than a real Lemon or Limeade.
I didn't get a chance to try the ribs, which would be necessary to really pass judgment on any BBQ spot, but they seemed to be popular. I will try to check them out before the holidays. Its a good spot if you have to feed a large group but as far as BBQ goes its 'meh'. Gate's , Aurthur Bryant's and even Zarda's in Kansas City has nothing to worry about, oh course its a long way to get a bbq fix but its only a short 3hr nonstop flight out of LGA.
On my way out the door I grabbed a takeout menu and it appears they will deliver anywhere in NYC for $40 bucks, if you purchase at least $200 worth of items. This is a great idea if you are having an event at your apt, like a Superbowl party, World Series, etc. This place IS NOT expensive, actually it seems very reasonable considering we are in Manhattan.
While my previous visits to Hill Country were quite good, I was a bit disappointed at my recent visit.
I ordered the Pitmaster's Combo which had brisket, a beef rib, a pork rib, a quarter of a chicken and two sides.
The brisket, though edible, was too moist and fatty, it was a bit chewy and didn't have the texture of a properly wood-smoked brisket.
Both of the ribs were extremely overcooked and dry/crusty. i couldn't eat them.
The chicken and the sides were quite good. Unfortunately, the hot sauce was called "Texas Pete Hot Sauce" but it comes from North Carolina!!! Couldn't they at least get some from Texas or Louisiana?
Very good BBQ considering it's smack damn in the center of NYC. I found it interesting that they use… Read more »
One of my favourite places to eat in New York for 'cue. Being a Canuck, I don't have much to go on for good authentic 'cue but I feel Hill Country does me right every time I visit in terms of tasty, smokey meat. The seating space is ample and the atmosphere is loud and lively, if you come here on live music night you are in for a treat. It's great for groups but reservations are a must.
My hubby and I enjoy the brisket here, it's tender and moist. Ribs are of good size and meaty but they are dry style so all you have is some spicing as a cover. The bbq sauce does help to liven them up if you like saucy ribs but I do find that it's watered down version of HP sauce, it could use some more kick. And we always get a ring of the jalapeno cheese sausage, it's has a real character with the snapiness and heat. The mac and cheese and baked beans are our favourites for sides and we like to finish off with the blue belle ice cream for dessert. Some beefs: the ordering area gets congested from time to time when as the lines for meat and sides build up and the lineup at the door is congested when there are groups lingering about the bar waiting to take their seats. Really a few bottlenecks that clear after some time.
But the food is excellent here and the atmosphere friendly. I could die happy and stuffed here, I really could.
Never thought I'd be writing a BBQ review in New York City. Gave a speech in the neighborhood and 20 or so of the audience and I came here. The lean brisket was great - flavorful and tender, the jalapeno sausage was actually wonderful - a unique mixture of flavor. The ribs, and the mac & cheese were just OK.
Two floors, downstairs had a live band when we were there, upstairs where we sat was relatively quieter. You order from counters cafeteria style. Only downside is they had one _very_ slow cashier.
Three stars if this was in Texas, an extra one for being in New York.
I wish I could write separate reviews for the food and the environment. But alas, I can not so here goes...
This review is based on 1 happy hour, 1 dinner and 1 lunch.
The Food (2 stars) : totally overpriced. I ordered a single beef rib (about $6) and it was mostly bone. I think I may have gotten 3 bites off that sucker. The sides used to be good, but when I went for lunch they were all cold and the shoepeg corn pudding seems to be made with 3 day old corn that's been left out to dry. The food used to be much better, but has gone way downhill. However, they have a great selection of beers.
The ambiance (4 stars) : I came here for a happy hour and the band was great - really honky tonk, which is fun and different. Also came really late one night and got to see another country band downstairs tearing it up. Its a great place for some impromptu two-stepping.
I don't know if I ate $25 worth of food but I was plenty full. I came for what they call their Monday recession deal, which gives you a menu of all you can eat food for your table that is $25/person and all who sit at the table need to do it or no one can.
The decor is cute, very saloon-esque and really spacious. You kinda forget that you're in NYC. Service was good; my water was consistently filled and more food and sides were brought in a timely manner.
The BBQ meats to me were nothing special. The better ones were the chicken and the moist brisket. It tastes better after drizzling it with the BBQ and hot sauce supplied on the table. I always think BBQ should be well seasoned enough to begin with but maybe this is just the way that Texas BBQ is supposed to be.
I've always been more of a sides fan when it comes to BBQ / southern cooking / picnics and this place has really good sides. The corn pudding, coleslaw, beans, and cucumber salad are really good. Green bean casserole and corn bread aren't bad either.
Make sure to save room for the Banana Pudding; very homey delicious.
This might not be the best first date place considering it's not the easiest thing to eat without getting it all over you hands and face but great for friends, families, and once the honeymoon period has passed.
My friends and I decided to change up our normal Texas game-watch venue from Stout to somewhere that served actual food, and we went a little crazy, but it was worth it. We ordered: lean brisket, mac 'n cheese, baked beans, deviled eggs, corn bread, and red velvet cupcakes. The brisket was great - loved the smoky flavor and 1/2 pound was just the right amount of meat. The mac 'n cheese was okay, although it probably could have used a sharper cheese flavor. I also really enjoyed the baked beans, which is strange since I usually don't like beans in general, but the sweet-spicy-savory combination was hard to turn down. Corn bread was slightly on the dry side, but the red velvet cupcakes - a MUST. The frosting itself was nothing to talk about but the CAKE... wow. It wasn't dry at all, and it had a hint of chocolate flavor - if only they had the cream cheese frosting! Now that I know what I like, I probably won't go too crazy and order the whole menu like this time, but it's definitely a spot that I would take people if they wanted great barbecue.
I'll give the food a 4. Pretty good Texas style BBQ. Just be aware that you pay for the cuts of meat by the pound, so the cost can add up fast. Two slices of brisket and two large pork ribs came up to about $15. I would recommend sticking with the meat and skip the sides, which are ok but filling.
The service is a 2. I realize that most of the food is self service, but it took a log time to get our drink order taken, and longer still until the waitress asked if we wanted another round.
Thumbs up for having Blue Bell ice cream, though I was too stuffed to have any. Thumbs down for not having Shiner Bock on the beer list.
I went to this BBQ restaurant with several colleagues from work. At the entrance they give you an individual meal card that gets stamped/stickered with every piece of food you order.
The waiter/waitress takes your drink order but from there you are on your own. First you go to the meat counter. You can order several types of meat: baby back ribs, beef ribs, short ribs, brisket and chicken.
Since I don't eat pork I ordered short-ribs. One of the staff pulled out a massive piece from the smoker which consisted of 3 ribs. That looked way too much for me so I just had him give me one rib which seemed to have plenty of meat on it. At $18/pound it turned out to cost $27. I blanched a little but took the order anyway. I also ordered a quarter of a BBQ chicken. Your meal is wrapped in two pieces of brown paper and then given to you on a tray
The next station is the sides station where you can get corned bread or mac and cheese and several other sides. I took the mac and cheese. You then return to your table, which is basically a picnic style bench and start chowing down.
Afterwards you can go to the desserts station. I got a little pecan pie.
The wait staff is just there to take your drink order and remove your tray when you are finished.
I thought the food was ok but not terrific. Maybe I'm just not into BBQ.
Because of the cost of the ribs my meal cost over $50 and thought was more than I thought it would be.
Quite possibly the greatest collection of barbecued protein this side of Texas, I don't know if there's a better barbecue joint in the city. I know this because I took my mom here and she actually ate! She's not vegetarian but she doesn't really like too much meat either. Mama Lee actually commented that the meat here was excellent and to prove it, it was also the only time I've seen her as excited about meat as the rest of the men in our family.
Everything is good here. Literally, everything. My favorite amongst the meats is the Moist Beef Brisket (Tip: Much better than the dry), Beef and/or Pork Ribs, Beer Can Game Hen, and the Jalapeno Cheese Kreutz sausage. I told you son, everything. My favorite sides are the Longhorn Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Campfire Baked Beans with Burnt Ends, Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, White Shoepeg Corn Pudding, Green Bean Casserole, and the Corn Bread (Tip: Get the sweet, cinnamon butter. It is well worth it.). I've tried pretty much everything but every time I go back, I just can't control myself. The sweet tea is pretty delicious as well, which they serve in a sizable mason jar.
Tip of the day here is that you have to get the combo meals for two, three or four if you can. You get the most amount of sides and meat at a discounted price. If you decide not to, it's still a great deal to get the meat by 1/2 or a full pound each and split it with your butties. However, you will get killed a little bit on the sides. It's still worth it.
The whole joint is rustic looking and helps facilitate the proper mood for feasting. Combine aesthetics with the edible fare and you will have escape the worries of the world. Hill Country is undeniably beautiful in every fashion. No wonder it's so close to F.I.T.
Delicious BBQ with lots of choices of meat. And how can you argue with a place that lets you order your meat by the weight?
While the meat was excellent, and I love the fact that they just give you a huge slice of toast with it, the sides left something to be desired (except for the bourbon potatoes - I could eat myself into oblivion with those).
I would suggest getting there before too late - a couple of times they've run out of the more premium meat (i.e. prime rib) before the night was over.
This place is cute. It's a cross between a butcher shop and a cafeteria style place. There are many different types of BBQ meats to choose from. You go up to the counter and you tell them how much you want, they weigh it and package it in a brown price of paper. Then you go to the front of the restaurant and pay for your food. It's a bit tricky for first-timers because you're not entirely sure of portion sizes and how much food you really need. I tried the pork square rib and the market chicken. Both were pretty good. Not the best BBQ I've had but decent. We also got a small order of the Mac & Cheese. Again, not the best I've had but decent. The sweet ice tea in the mason jar is great.
The thing to brag about at this place is the ice-cream. They get their ice cream delivered from Texas and it is southern goodness (heavy on the sweet cream), It was soooooo good. I had the Moollenium Crunch and the vanilla. And I also got seconds. They have different flavors everyday. So good!
Although I've had better BBQ elsewhere, I like that the food here is consistent and the ambiance is different. However, like the other BBQ places out there, you will smell like you were sleeping on a BBQ pit for days after you're done eating.
I'm from Austin Texas, so I am already giving this place some slacks for being a BBQ place in Manhattan. Service was great, everything dressed like they went to UT Austin. The waiting in line for your food thing is a little annoying but alright. I guess they are trying to have this BBQ cafeteria feel to it. I get it.
The BBQ there is very expensive. Brisket was pretty good, nothing spectacular. Don't get the ribs, there are tough and not tender enough. I did not like the sausage either, falls apart after you put your knift through it. So the meat I give them at C, the sides however, I give them an A.
The meal costed me $50, and I was not satisfied since the meat was no good. I thought the meat at Blue Smoke was better.
3.5 stars...Yelp has this one right again.
Hill Country is a true BBQ joint with great decor and space to back it up. The way this place works is that they give you a card upon entering and you go to one of three stations (meats/sides/desserts) to get your food and they check off the items you get on your card. You'll get a waitress taking your drink order and she will also add onto the card. Once you're done you'll go to the cashier and they will add up your card and tell you the damage.
They can get real expensive very quick especially during the evening (you'll spend $30-50). The meat is carved/chopped on the spot and is sold by weight (any weight you want), it's served with white bread and wrapped in brown paper (no plates here), this is the way many true BBQ places in the south work (or so I'm told). My only issue is that I've always found their meats to be greasy and not as tender as I've had elsewhere.
The sides are hit or miss. The mac and cheese is awesome when it's fresh and not nearly as good when it's been sitting around awhile. The mashed sweet potato is a tad watery and not nearly as good as places like Daisy Mays BBQ. They surprisingly do not have mashed or baked potatoes here, very disappointing.
They carry Blue Bell ice cream which is probably the best brand of hard ice cream I've ever had (they import it from TX). They also import their Coke from Mexico where they use sugar instead of Corn Syrup and from what I hear, makes a huge difference.
Hill Country also hosts a constant selection of free concerts held on their ground floor throughout the year making this more than just a restaurant but a diner and show. On Tuesdays they have Live Band Karaoke which is exactly what it sounds like, there is a live band playing rock and country songs that you can get up and sing with. The environment here is awesome. I really like this place!
Overall awesome place but their prices and meats need a little tweaking to be a solid 4 or 5.
Not really my type of place but got dragged here and found the experience great! Like I was back in the south at a bbq diner. A great place to chill out and have some good meat and beer!
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Hell's Kitchen
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Harlem
Category: Barbeque
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