I have to confess, I was predisposed to dislike Hill Country. Despite the mostly positive buzz, I find BBQ and all south-of-the-Mason-Dixon line fare in NY not worth the trip. I won’t repeat my rant about the dismal state of iced tea in the city.

Then, I got to the place and saw that the interior was keeping pace with the overall Disneyfication of New York, and I was in an instant bad mood. The cow pokey interior, all brick and rough-hewn wood, with photos of Texas butchers was a little theme park-like for me. The giant silver star over the bar near the entrance loomed.

We got on line to get our ‘cue. I ordered the lean brisket and a pork rib which was plopped down a piece of brown paper. Wow!!! Who cares if it feels like I’m eating at Epcot? This was one of the finest ribs I’ve ever gnawed on, certainly one of the best in NY. Smokey and luscious, the meat was tender and oh so flavorful. Even though Texas ‘cue isn’t wet like the Carolina version I’m used to, I barely needed to apply barbecue sauce.

The brisket was tasty but a little dry. Of course, that’s my fault. I should have ordered the moist version, but I was valiantly trying to keep the cholesterol count somewhere below the stratosphere.

Hill Country
30 W. 26th St.
New York, NY
212-255-4544

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