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All Reader Reviews of...

Hill Country

30 W. 26th St., New York, NY, 10010
nr. Broadway
212-255-4544

Avg. Rating

6
Food: 7
Service: 5
Décor: 7
"Mixed Reviews"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

53% would go back.

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Best NYC BBQ

By BBfood on 2/21/2012

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

After trying Dinosaur BBQ, Dallas BBQ, Blue Smoke, and a place in Williamsburg I don't remember the name of, Hill Country is the BEST BBQ IN NYC! It is so delicious and fresh, with great sides and desserts. I love it here, nowhere else compares even remotely.

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23 out of 39 people found this review helpful.

More, please!

By brittanycarcova on 8/17/2010

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 6
  • Décor: 7
  • Yes, I would go back!

The best BBQ I have had outside of Texas or Memphis! The Mac and Cheese melts in your mouth. The Brisket might be my favorite meal in New York. I have yet to witness a disappointed face eating here. Last visit, Bobby Flay was throwing his brother a party here. Hey, if its good enough for Bobby Flay, it's good enough for me!

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75 out of 139 people found this review helpful.

Best BBQ in the city

By Kevin Barnett (NY MAG) on 8/11/2010

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 8
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

If you have had legit Central Texas BBQ, then the market format – or as an earlier commenter described is as 'cafeteria-style' – will come as a comfort. Among the good BBQ restaurants around the city, I would call this one really, really good. The Great BBQ comes from old(er) and well-seasoned smokehouses, something that takes years to develop. I have no doubt Hill Country will get there. You come here for smoked brisket and sausage. End of story. If you're in the mood for pork, go elsewhere as you will probably not be satisfied. However, I happen to love their dry-rubbed pork spare ribs. As for the sides, most of them are either too involved or too rich. I typically opt for slaw, onions and pickles. Simple. Hill Country would do themselves a favor by not serving any BBQ sauce vs. their cheap, bottled-by-someone-else sauce. Besides the fact that it's unauthentic for their namesake, it's like putting A1 on a dry-aged ribeye. You just don't do that. In the end, they make up for these oversights w/ charm, a great bar, room for a lot of your friends and great service. Highly recommended, unless you're in from Texas and you can get this or better at home.

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61 out of 116 people found this review helpful.

The best kind of theme restaurant

By helenr on 7/16/2010

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

Definitely some of the best barbecue I've had within 500 miles, with meltingly tender brisket (go lean, not moist) and ideally vinegary barbecue and hot sauces. The cafeteria-style ordering, really decent live music, and over-the-top Honky Tonk decor add exponentially to the awesome, and the corn pudding alone is worth the trip.

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62 out of 133 people found this review helpful.

great bbq for the big city

By victoryrose on 3/27/2009

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

i'm from oklahoma. i do know what bbq is supposed to taste like. sure this place is more expensive than in okalhoma, but if you haven't noticed EVERYTHING is more expensive here than in oklahoma. i thought the brisket was lovely. the ribs succulent. the sides are all pretty much great - even the mac & cheese, and i tend to be pretty critical there. the atmosphere is fun and laid back. it is great for groups. it is great to share - and sharing actually helps with the cost too. 2 of us had 2 beers each, brisket, ribs, bread, mac & cheese, greenbean cassarole and potato salad for less than $50. not bad at all...

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129 out of 261 people found this review helpful.

Best BBQ in NY!

By idlewild on 1/9/2009

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 7
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

The food here is simply fantastic. Anyone that appreciates *true* BBQ will love this place. Sure it's a bit pricey - particularly for lunch - but the pay per order is great, especially for large parties wanting casual dining. I have been to HC for both a birthday party dinner and several work lunches. It's fantastic.

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107 out of 211 people found this review helpful.

Anywhere but here for barbecue

By FatBastard on 10/1/2008

  • Overall Rating: 3
  • Food: 2
  • Service: 3
  • Décor: 4
  • No, I would not go back!

I'd wanted to try Hill Country for a while and was thoroughly disappointed when I finally did. Nothing to do with being a "prissy" New Yorker -- I'll happily get my street meat fix. Only positive is that the bar has several interesting bourbons. NOTE: It's not clear before going unless you read fine print that serving is done CAFETERIA-STYLE. You go through a litte gate, find your own table, then load a tray with food. They were out of the most interesting sausage, and the beef ribs had very little meat on enormous bones (you're charged by the pound). Insipid green bean casserole side dish, mac-and-cheese barely better, and a surprising $3.50 for cornbread (also bland). So for $80, I left feeling stuffed with a pound and a half of government quality meat and four beers. Bottom line, if you can't get into Blue Smoke and don't want to trek to Daisy May's let alone Dinosaur, you're better off ordering ribs at any neighborhood pub if you find yourself with the insatiable craving for barbecue sauce.

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127 out of 260 people found this review helpful.

waaaaay too pricey

By chanex on 8/15/2008

  • Overall Rating: 6
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 4
  • Décor: 8
  • No, I would not go back!

I'm from TX and love my barbecue, especially cafeteria style, but knowing that if you allow yourself to grab everything you want you'll be paying $40 for dinner takes all of the fun out of it...decent brisket and great dessert however.

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126 out of 261 people found this review helpful.

The Bellevue of barbeque joints

By molly_caitlin on 7/18/2008

  • Overall Rating: 4
  • Food: 5
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 4
  • No, I would not go back!

Some coworkers and I went to Hill Country recently for a colleagueÂ’s birthday. Unimpressive. Our waitress seemed to be on some heavy sedatives-she was barely alive. She had two tables, however managed to forget our drink orders, then bring us the wrong bourbon, which she insisted was the right one. When we asked the manager to try it, he brought over the correct bottle, adamant that we were wrong, filled up a glass an inch, offered it to us to taste and compare, then ran away before we could tell him that it was completely different from what she had served us. Then he gossiped about us with our incoherent waitress at the bar (who just numbly nodded in response). In general, from the moment we arrived to when we left, we were met with some seriously miserable service people. I don't know if Hill Country treats their employees poorly or if they simply make a concerted effort to hire people with grave personality disorders. If you enjoy barbeque and abuse, I highly recommend it. Otherwise, there are other barbeque joints in the city that might not make it so torturous to get through your meal.

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117 out of 247 people found this review helpful.

BBQ Lunch

By connect on 5/16/2008

  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Food: 6
  • Service: 3
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

I work in the area, so I have ventured to Hill Country for lunch two times. I like the idea of the cafeteria style service, but it is definitely confusing on the first visit. Also, I was scolded (on both occasions) by the staff when I told them I needed my food to go. Since it is cafeteria style I found that some of the sides had been out for a long time so they were cold by the time they were served. The BBQ beef was delicious though!

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111 out of 213 people found this review helpful.

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