Hill Country Market

Smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. Upon stepping up to the outside hostess stand of Hill Country, Flatiron’s semi-new Central-Texas barbecue hotspot, I was home. The unmistakable odor of Texas oak smoked meat delivers a nirvana shot to my heart and for a moment I feel like I’m floating.

An Austin transplant, I’ve kept my nose open for good barbecue in the city since I arrived here a few months ago. Barbecue is not something that can be rushed and in the hurried lifestyle of New York City, many thought authentic barbecue in the city was not possible, but at Hill Country, time slows down.

Barbecue sparks discussion and debate more than almost any American regional food from Kansas City to North Carolina. However, Texas is a different animal, literally. While KC and NC like their hog whole, pulled or St. Louis style, Texans prefer beef, specifically a cut from the breast known as brisket. Enormous and full of unlocked flavor potential, brisket is perfect for low and slow smoked barbecue. But barbecue is more than just fire and meat. The atmosphere has to be inviting, friendly and open. Twangy steel pedal guitar and the click of boot heels on hardwood floor make up the soundtrack. Wash it all down with a Lone Star Beer and you’ve got yourself a bona fide barbecue joint, yes sir.

The front door at Hill Country is like a portal. On one side is New York City, never sleeping in all its taxi-lined-streets glory, and on the other side is an authentic Texas honky-tonk bar and barbecue restaurant. Everything at Hill Country is designed to replicate the experience of eating real barbecue in Texas right down to the live music stage downstairs showcasing country and western acts from New York, Texas, and all over. Taking its cues from renowned barbecue Mecca, Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX, Hill Country doesn’t overlook the details. Meat is served on butcher paper by the pound out of waist-high smokers opened with a rope and pulley system just like they’ve done at Kreuz for over 100 years. The menu is full of barbecue staples like a Bowl of Red (chili for you non-Texan speakers), Baked Beans, German Potatoes and Cole Slaw. You can even get Texas originals like Big Red soda and Blue Bell Ice Cream. But all the sides are just that, sidekicks, opening acts for the main meat event.

The deliciously marbled moist brisket at Hill Country melts on the tongue and leaves patrons drooling for more. This is how barbecue should taste. The brisket at Hill Country isn’t just the best in New York but it is in the running for best in the country. The flavor is right up there with Texas giants like Kreuz. Hill Country even ships in Kreuz Original and Jalapeno Cheese Sausage from the source to sell to real barbecue hungry New Yorkers. The Mac and Cheese made with Longhorn Cheddar is like a freebase of flavor, so addicting an eight ounce portion isn’t nearly enough. The Green Bean Casserole is better than my grandma’s.

They just “get it” on a basic level. From the menu full of down home staples to the wood and brick décor to the Mason jar water glasses and some of the best barbecue I have ever eaten, this is a great restaurant. Transporting patrons from the busy streets of New York City to deep in the heart of Central Texas like only true barbecue can, Hill Country is the real McCoy when it comes to Texas barbecue.