There may not be a Triple Crown winner this year, but if you’re looking to kick off this Belmont weekend with some hardcore, belly-bombing grub, you need to saddle up and get to Hill Country Barbeque Market (http://www.hillcountryny.com/). This Central Texas inspired “marketplace” has all the meaty essentials needed to make a fat man happy and a dainty woman feel threatened. All the meats are seasoned with a dry-rub and cooked on the premises in their custom meat-smoking room.
I recently went to Hill Country for the second time in my life. The first time was almost 2 years ago and I was probably a few too many Longhorns deep to remember the succulent flavors I was able to actually enjoy and experience this time around. Upon walking in, you’ll have a choice to sit at a table, take-out, or chill by the bar and eat/drink at their standing-room tables. Whether you’re sitting in the dining area or not, you pretty much do all the work yourself. You’ll be given a small menu (probably the size of your iPhone or Android) and this fun-sized pamphlet will be your guide to barbeque ecstasy.
Step 1 – Go to the counter and order your meat. This isn’t like going to a butcher or your local grocery store for cold-cuts. This area is loaded with all their fresh meats and on Tuesdays when they roast a whole hog, you’ll get a chance to see it firsthand and have some meat freshly sliced off that little Miss Piggy. Order a combination or purchase a variety of meats individually (which are charged by weight). My suggestion for first time visitors, do the “Pitmaster.” - $25, enough food for two people, and you get a good helping of almost everything they have to offer. I’m not trying to push you in any particular direction, but seriously, get the brisket! In the words of Antoine Dodson, “You are dumb, you are really, really dumb”… if you don’t try their brisket and/or prime rib. 
Step 2 – Grab some side dishes. Suggestions would be the “Green Bean Cassarole w/ Durkee Onions” and the “Longhorn Mac n Cheese.” The casserole is creamy and delicious with a nice added crunch from the onions, while the mac n cheese is made with penne pasta, also creamy, but has a layer of melted cheeses over the top. 
This place is 2 floors and amasses to over 11,000 sq feet. There’s a stage downstairs where bands (mostly country-inspired) perform and karaoke takes place on Tuesday nights. Monday is All-You-Can-Eat for only $25 between the hours of 5pm-10pm, where you can have unlimited brisket, chicken, spare ribs, and sides. The beer selection is superb with local Texan beers available. And if you’re not stuffed already just talking about it, save room for a peanut butter & jelly cupcake for dessert!
Count your YEEHAWWWS all the way to the Flatiron District and stop in – located on 26th St. between Broadway and 6th Ave. On my scale of 1-10, 10 being a performance by John Wayne in one of his classic westerns, I give this rip-roarin’ place a 9.5!
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