Surprisingly, I’ve walked by this restaurant several times, never noticing it. But the night that I went to Hill Country for dinner, the Lone Star shone so brightly that it was difficult to pass. The moment I opened the front door, this intense scent that screamed “BARBEQUE!!” hit
After waiting some time, we were finally seated. Hil Country is a giant open restaurant and serves food cafeteria style. You line up in front of the main counter to order your meat and then move on to the sides counter. With so much on the menu, it was difficult for us to choose. I almost got the sampler, which gives you a little of every meat as well as 2 sides, but last minute, Alvin and I decided that our money could be better spent by splitting up our meal and getting what we really wanted.
So that’s precisely what we did. We ordered 1lb of pork ribs, a spicy sausage, a whole beer can game hen, mac & cheese, 2 fine portions of corn bread, and German potatoes. The meat also came with 2 slices of bread.
The guy behind the counter quickly shouted out his order and slapped each meat as it came along onto a thick flat brown paper bag. Then he deftly rolled up the bread, motioning us over to the sides counter. After we ordered everything and finally sat down, the feast was quite a site. (see below)
By the time I finished a quarter of my chicken and just half of my pork rib (1 lb = 4 HUGE ribs), I was already full. The mac & cheese was really delicious, but intensely heavy and creamy. After a few bites of that, you get enough of it, so it’d be wise to only order a small. The German potatoes I could definitely do without with- they were a big mashed and soggy. But the cornbread was amazing! Definitely spend your money on that if you’re deciding on sides. I also tried a bit of the green bean casserole, which surprisingly, was also quite tasty.
By the end of the night we were completely stuffed. I almost decided to forgo dessert until Alvin convinced me otherwise and sent me on a trek to order dessert for the both of us. Up at the counter, I saw this beautiful looking red velvet cupcake. The guy told me it was $1.50 and naturally, I thought it was a bargain so I ordered some vanilla ice cream too. Lo and behold, either he lied or I misheard, because it was $6!!! And that cupcake was worth $2 at best…
Supposedly, Blake Lively comes here quite frequently, but even without her, the place is busy. Make reservations if you can and definitely come with an empty stomach. Don’t overeat either like we did either.
MENU
30 W. 26th St.
New York, NY 10010
Near Broadway See Map | Subway Directions 
212-255-4544 Send to Phone
You should also check out:
- The Great GoogaMooga | Prospect Park, Brooklyn
- An interview with Terry Chen of “Filled with Sweets”
- Co. Pizza
- Crif Dogs (take 2)- best hot dogs ever
- Saturday brunch at Locanda Verde
