NY

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

Linkdown: 5/1/24 – The It’s Gonna be May Edition

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Monk: April was a busy month for ol’ Monk here, but we’re back with the first linkdown in a while. Hoping to get back to a more regular schedule now.

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ICYMI

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Linkdown: 8/29/23 – The Taylor Swift x Barbecue Festival Edition

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Featured

Monk: Did you know that Taylor Swift played at the Lexington Barbecue Festival in 2006?

Here’s a brief Tik Tok about it:

There’s some very grainy pre-iPhone concert footage available on YouTube.

Here’s some audio of Swift’s song “Tim McGraw”:

Anywho – this year’s edition of the Lexington Barbecue festival will be in downtown Lexington on Saturday, October 28th. Chances that the next Taylor Swift will be playing there this year…?

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Ruben Santana is the BBQ King Of Brooklyn

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Monk: In the world of fusion barbecue, Dominican-style Texas barbecue is fairly unique combination. Since 2020, Ruben Santana has been running Bark Barbecue which combines those two cuisines to seemingly delicious results. From Munchie’s Street Food Icons series.

Description: Ruben Santana is the owner and pitmaster of Bark Barbecue, a Texas-style BBQ pop up in NYC with a Dominican twist. As a Queens native of Dominican descent, Ruben smokes brisket, ribs, and other meats in the classic Texas style, while adding his own Dominican flair to the spice rubs and sides, which include arroz con gris, maduros, and more. Ruben, who previously worked in the HVAC and automotive industry, started Bark Barbecue out of his backyard in 2020. Now he’s selling out at some of the biggest food festivals in America and is becoming a leader in the NYC BBQ community and beyond. Follow his Instagram, @bark_barbecue, to see where he’ll be popping up next.