I will venture to say that Hill Country is as close to “real” barbecue as New York will ever get: brisket wrapped in butcher paper, served up counter-style, with a spacious 250-seat dining room akin to rough-around-the-edges bbq joints.

But, when you wait 45 minutes like I did on a Friday night, it’s easy to remember that, yes indeed, this is New York. The waiting area is small, so I suggest making reservations or avoiding the dreaded 7-9pm dinner time. The upside to Hill Country’s counter service is that as soon as your table is ready, you head up to the food stations and within 2 minutes, your meat, sides, and drinks are ready.

The only other people you could get down on chicken wings and messy BBQ is with “the guys, ” which absolutely includes The “Friend” Girl, you know she’ll be grubbing on cornbread just as much as the next guy.