Yee ha

Gail picked Hill Country, a brand-spankin' new BBQ joint, for Dining Out Group last night.

The positives: Enjoyed nice margaritas - served with jalapenos inside - at the bar. We ordered beef ribs and brisket. The BBQ was really tasty and well-prepared, but so different from my beloved Vandy's that it's hard to compare the two. (This is actually a good thing, since nothing will probably ever win in a head-to-head with Vandy's.) The green bean casserole as a side order was incredibly bad-ass; I must admit it could totally hold its own against something baked by a South Georgia grandma. Mac & cheese was good, but the noodles were penne(?!) . The staff was friendly and fairly knowledgeable, but when pressed, everyone admitted they're from NYC. (Haha.) Some beautiful black and white photography of the Texas Hill Country lines the walls.

The negatives: Sweet tea was pitiful, but I had low expectations in this arena anyway. Lamest thing by far was that you need to find your own table vs. being seated, and there are no plates: you eat the meat off of brown butcher paper and the sides out of styrofoam containers. This is especially awkward when you're sharing food with others (which I was doing). I'm all for being rustic when you're eating at a picnic table in the country, but when you're in a NYC restaurant paying Manhattan prices everyone deserves a fucking plate.

Validation of the Cheese: Cheese was listed as a side on the menu, so I asked the bartender Alex what she knew about this. She verified cheese as a Texas BBQ tradition (apparently the restaurant employed some serious pitmasters as consultants prior to opening, and they had explained the cheese phenomenon to her during training).

Further Texas cred: Heybale performed last weekend as part of the grand opening festivities (this was a fun country band I saw the last time I was in Austin).