Worth the Splurge: Hill Country Barbecue

There have been numerous barbecue joints popping up in NYC over the last few years, and now I understand why Bill Clinton's been spotted at Hill Country. I've assumed it must be good--I trust the Clintons know their 'cue--and sure enough...

We ended up at Hill Country for Lara's birthday (she wanted mac and cheese, and boy, does this place have mac and cheese!). The food is a la carte, so I went for the pork ribs (and ordered way too many...I'm used to ribs that are mainly bone, but these were super-meaty), the skillet cornbread with ancho honey butter (amazing!), and the green bean casserole (I needed to fill the vegetable bill as to not feel guilty, but let's get real...incredibly yummy, not at all healthy...). Lara picked up the regular Kreuz sausage (they were out of the jalapeño variety, but the regular was pretty spectacular), corn pudding, and the world's biggest container of mac and cheese (fabulous). Steve, being from Texas, went for the traditional lean brisket (really, really flavorful, smoky, and nice), and more of the cornbread.

The portions are definitely Texas-sized, so expect to end up with lots of leftovers (which isn't a bad thing...but now that I know, I think I'll order a single rib next time). It's NYC, so of course it's more expensive than the South, but I think Hill Country now tops my list of the city barbecue places I've tried so far.

(I also think 26th Street is turning into Barbecue Row. What's up with that?)

Thanks, President Clinton! (And thanks S&L for a fabulous dinner!)

Hill Country, 30 West 26th Street between Broadway and 6th.