Hill Country Barbecue: Southern Charm in the Heart of NYC?

Author and Photographer: Sharon Li

Being a New Yorker means compromises; from living in studio bedrooms barely big enough for a bed to missing out on amenities such as a full-sized stovetop or a parking spot within walking distance of your place. But most tragic of all is not being able to have the luxury of outdoor areas within your own home. A lack of backyard space within the city also means the inability to indulge in probably one of the best ways to consume meat: barbecue. A real American tradition, barbecuing has come to symbolize reunions of family members and celebrations of graduations.  But, luckily for us, in lieu of barbecuing areas in parks, the general population of New York is fortunate enough to be blessed with Hill Country Barbecue, a restaurant that allows us to enjoy slow-roasted savory meats without the hassle of doing it ourselves. Hill Country was named a "Top 10 Barbecue Restaurant in the U.S." by the Wall Street Journal, the "Best Barbecue in NY" by both New York Magazine and Time Out New York, and one of the "Best New Restaurants of the Year" by New York Magazine; for a place like this, I definitely had high hopes walking inside.

The exterior of Hill Country Barbecue is decorated in a typical country-Southern aesthetic with checkered tablecloths, string lights, and picnic benches reminiscent of park-style barbecues. The interior was dimly lit and reminded me very much of your standard moody New York bar. On the day that I went with my friends, the restaurant was not packed at all, and it was nice to be able to have a table in a solitary secluded corner to be able to talk, there was also the bar option if you preferred to socialize more. The menu was quite simple in fare; all of the dishes were easy to understand and had ingredients we were familiar with. Since we were a party of four, we thought it would be nice to split the barbecue platter that was available for dine-in only. The “Combo Cue” consisted of brisket, chicken, Hill Country hot links, and spareribs, alongside three sixteen-ounce sides of our choosing. For the sides, we were able to choose from both their hot and cold sides menu, from which we chose the longhorn cheddar mac & cheese, sweet potato bourbon mash, cool as cucumber salad, and confetti coleslaw. For only a hundred and nine dollars split between four people, we were satisfied with the price, and at the end of the meal we even had some food leftover. In addition to our meats and sides, we ordered a pitcher of passion-fruit frozen margaritas for thirty-six dollars. Our server was extremely attentive, and we were very happy with our choices of the night.

The barbecue was served to us over a sheet of parchment paper on a metal platter with the sides housed in school-lunch style, checkered boat trays—I’d definitely say that the rustic feel was there. The frozen margaritas were beautifully rimmed with salt, and sweet enough to not be overwhelming while still being able to pair in harmony with the taste of the tequila. For the meats, we were able to choose between a choice of either lean or fatty, and we decided to choose both to share. The lean meat was nicely charred albeit a little tough to cut through at times, but the fatty meat was full of flavor and very soft—I guess the preference is really up to your own personal flavor palette and lifestyle choices. I personally enjoyed the fatty meat platter far more. We appreciated the cold sides of cucumber salad and coleslaw more than the mac and cheese and sweet potato mash, surprisingly; the cold and sweet aspects of the salad and slaw  paired well with the salty profile of the meat. All in all, it was a meal that did not leave us hungry or wanting more, and when it comes to barbecue, that’s all you can ask for out of a meal.

However, my three friends and I did come to the consensus that the food could’ve been better. Perhaps we were being cynical New Yorkers, judging as we do best, but despite the rave reviews from Yelp, we couldn’t help but be disappointed by what we were served. Were our expectations too high coming into the meal? Either way, we all seemed to agree that this place seemed to be missing a “wow” factor, whether it be in the seasoning or the way of the smoker, something important was definitely missing from the meal (perhaps, Southern charm and heart?). Still, that isn’t to say that the food isn’t worth a shot. For a barbecue joint located in Flatiron, in the heart of New York City, I’d still say that it’s pretty good, and it is definitely a place to try out with your friends if the smoked meat craving ever hits.