3 hogs

Can a barbecue joint in the middle of New York serve good barbecue?

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Name: Hill Country Barbecue Market
Date: 2/8/26
Address: 30 W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Order: “Two Meater” platter with brisket (moist), jalapeno cheddar sausage, pork collard greens, and cowboy beans (link to menu)
Pricing: $$$

Monk: Readers, I was caught a little off guard with my most recent trip to New York for a quick work trip. I didn’t do much research going into the short trip and found myself with an open night for dinner. Hill Country Barbecue Market was a somewhat known quantity by me in name only, having opened in 2007 on the leading edge of the New York barbecue boom, and I had not yet visited yet, instead opting for places like Hometown Bar-B-Que, John Brown’s Smokehouse, and the original Mighty Quinn’s when I had previously visited NYC. In a slight mist, I started my walk from my Midtown hotel down towards 26th.

Entering Hill Country, I was immediately struck by the Texas of it all. To say that it pays homage to the Republic of Texas would be understating it; it really slaps you in the face (positive). Finding a spot at the bar, I couldn’t help but notice the music, the signage, and the general vibe. They really nailed it. I ordered a Shiner and my food and we were off.

Being just me, I opted for the “Two Meater” platter with moist brisket and a jalapeno cheddar sausage. Thankfully, you get a choice of moist or lean, which is usually a good sign. Unfortunately, I may have gotten the less desirable end pieces of the moist part of the brisket with large veins of slightly congealed fat throughout the slices.

The jalapeno cheddar sausages (as well as the other sausages on the menu) are apparently shipped in from the legendary Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas. It had a nice kick and on its own was a solid link that more than made up for the “less than” brisket.

The “Two Meater” comes with two sides as well as cornbread and some pickled veggies. Both the collards and “cowboy beans” were just fine. The cornbread was brushed with honey and was very close to being the best part of the meal.

In response to the original question of this entry, the answer based on Hill Country Barbecue Market is “not really.” I can’t fault them too much for cooking with a gas-assisted smoker in the middle of Manhattan, but the end product especially in terms of the brisket was just subpar on this night. Go to Hill Country for the Texas vibes and maybe a happy hour (the bottom bar was slammed with young professionals), but not necessarily the barbecue.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 2.5 hogs
Sausage – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

A Quick Lunch at Honeyfire Barbeque Co.’s Stall in Downtown Nashville

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Name: Honeyfire Barbeque Co.
Date: 1/31/25
Address: 5055 Broadway Place, Level 2 South Stall 8, Nashville, TN 37203 (Assembly Food Hall)
Order: Pulled pork sandwich with sweet corn pudding (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Monk: The Monk family gymnastics travels brought us to Nashville recently, and Mrs. Monk insisted on an afternoon on Broadway on our first day in town. Arriving in early afternoon, she had already scouted out Assembly Foodhall with the assumption that it would satisfy each of our tastes; I usually get a bit of a moan from the Monkettes when I announce we are going to a barbecue restaurant and I was saving that for the next day (more on that next week).

Assembly Foodhall has a prime location in downtown Nashville around the corner from Broadway and across the street from the Ryman. It features stalls from local Nashville eateries and bars like The Pharmacy Burger, Prince’s Hot Chicken, and Hattie Jane’s Creamery over two floors and like just about every other place in Nashville, regularly features live music.

The youngest Monkette (the pickiest eater among us) got a fancy grilled cheese, Mrs. Monk and the elder Monkette shared sushi rolls, and I got a lighter lunch of a pulled pork barbecue sandwich and a side at Honeyfire Barbeque Co.

The pork sandwich was dusted with a sweet rub and a squirting of their honey barbecue sauce but that was somewhat offset by the topping of a mayo-based coleslaw. All in all, this was a fairly satisfying sandwich albeit not overly smokey. My assumption is that it was smoked in a gasser at their main location in the Bellevue neighborhood and trucked into downtown.

Speaking of the Bellevue location, Speedy actually checked out Honeyfire back in 2020 and tried a 3-meat combo of pork, brisket, and ribs. His main complaint overall was a generally high level of sweetness. Though to be fair, he did add a heap of of additional sauce onto the pork thinking it was a vinegar sauce.

The small cup of corn pudding was on the sweeter end of the spectrum while not being overly sweet, and a nice complement to the sandwich.

Honeyfire Barbeque Co. was not the main barbecue joint I was looking forward to in Nashville, but I certainly did not regret visiting as it’s decent ‘cue that is served quickly (a plus in a food hall setting). And there’s better barbecue down the street at Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ at Chief’s, but in a pinch it’ll do the trick.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3 hogs
Pork – 3 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

Haywood Smokehouse Brings Texas BBQ to the Mountains of NC

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Name: Haywood Smokehouse
Date: 1/27/24
Address: 403 Haywood Rd, Dillsboro, NC 28725
Order: 2-meat combo platter with pork and brisket plus cole slaw and collards  (Link to menu)
Price: $$$

Monk: After some really positive experiences at Ridgewood Barbecue and Old Hampton Store in late 2023, could my luck with mountain barbecue continue into early 2024 at the Dillsboro outpost of Haywood Smokehouse?

Haywood Smokehouse is a small three-restaurant mini-chain with other western NC locations in Waynesville and Franklin. They specialize in Texas barbecue and at least in Dillsboro smoke with hickory wood using a gas-assist smoker located just off their small parking lot.

Open the door into a cozy dining room, and you are greeted by wood paneling and wood tables. As with many NC barbecue joints back east, you are greeted in short order by a waitress to take your drink order and within just a few minutes of sitting you have placed your food order as well.

For my two meat combo, I selected pork and brisket and all of our orders were brought out rather quickly. No complaints there. As for either meat, while slightly above average, neither the chopped pork nor the brisket stood out. The pork had plenty of bark chopped into a coarsely chopped but the brisket could have used some trimming and in fact some of it was unrendered as if it had been sitting for awhile (possibly overnight?).

For sides, the story continued with neither the cole slaw nor the collards standing out and if either were pre-packaged or semi-homemade (Sandra Lee style) it wouldn’t have surprised me.

Alas, it would not be a three-peat for mountain barbecue. While Haywood Smokehouse is fine, it doesn’t reach the heights of either Ridgewood or Old Hampton Store in large part due to its use of a gas-assisted smoker.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 3 hogs
Brisket – 3 hogs
Pulled pork – 3 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs

Dreamland Barbecue is an Alabama Institution, But How Do They Stack Up in 2023?

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Name: Dreamland Barbecue
Date: 7/22/23
Address: 1427 14th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205
Order: Rib sandwich (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Monk: The only other real opportunity I previously had to try Dreamland Barbecue was on a drive when I passed through the state via I-20 on my way from Charlotte to Austin in 2009. Even though I was somewhat aware of Dreamland, on the longest day of driving (a 12-hour leg from Atlanta to Fort Worth) I prioritized driving time over scenic stops. It wasn’t until 14 years later that I was back in the state and had a chance to finally try their supposedly legendary ribs.

After a fantastic burger and some beers at Back Forty Beer Company, I knew I had a short window before meeting up with Monk cousins later in the afternoon. Luckily, we were staying very close to the Southside location of Dreamland.

After the aforementioned burger and beers, I definitely didn’t want a full rack and even a half rack would have been too much. Lo and behold, the rib sandwich. A rib sandwich is not a sandwich at all – its all about portion control as John Tanner so helpfully points out in this post – and for me it was the perfect size at roughly four ribs.

My sandwich came with a smaller fifth and sixth bone and was served on their own with a side of soft white bread with a cup of sauce. Dreamland’s ribs are smoked hot and fast over direct heat and being that I got there mid-afternoon I possibly (likely?) got some ribs that were cooked in an hour or less. Assuming that’s the case, I could tell by their lack of tenderness. If I ever decide to make it back to a different location, I will try to get there right as they open to have a better shot at getting “pleasantly chewy ribs with salty, crunchy edges” as Daniel Vaughn describes it in his article from 2015.

I will say, the sauce was an entirely new one for me but I enjoyed the tanginess of it. Perhaps it is cousin to the tangy, orange-y sauce I found at Randy’s Bar-B-Q in Savannah but I am only speculating. I do wish I had grabbed a bottle to try at home with my own ribs though.

I also took home a pint of banana pudding and proceeded to eat the whole thing in one sitting a few days later back at home in Charlotte. Well worth it.

I also did try their Magic City Dog, which is a smoked hot dog, from their stall at the Birmingham Barons minor league baseball game the night before and it was a darn good ballpark dog. Would absolutely order again.

I’ll have to admit, Dreamland Barbecue was a bit of a letdown for me, even in my limited tasting of just the ribs. But I don’t think its just me. Speedy was similarly disappointed a few years back in a visit that pre-dated the blog. My cousin who grew up in Alabama and has lived in the Birmingham area for a couple of decades said he doesn’t eat there anymore because of how far it has fallen in his eyes. Sadly, I think at this point I might only try Dreamland Barbecue again if I find myself at their original location in Tuscaloosa and only right at opening.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 3 hogs
Overall – 3 hogs