Hill Country Chicken

I was on the ass end of lunchtime and just wanted something not quite light but not heavy either. Since I knew Regina was making a beeline Waverly Place for the über delish falafel paradise known as Taïm, I knew lunch was going to have to be something that Ms. "I'm allergic to chicken" wasn't able to eat.

*A side note here: Waverly Place is also the home to Mad Men's Don Draper. I am extremely bummed that Don, Roger, Peggy, Lane, and associates will not be with us this summer. The show's premiere typically fell on my birthday, but alas, this year Netflix will be the best I can do. Here's an interesting story about locating Don's address from one of the episodes.

The Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore-esque Interior

I decided on Hill Country Chicken. Since I was going to be in the area the following day for the Big Apple BBQ Block Party, I knew HCC wasn't going to be in the plans.

When you walk in the first thing you notice is the decor. I don't know who did the interior design of this place, but it had a brilliant late 60's early 70's country diner flavor that is superbly put together. With creamy yellow, bright red, and faded blues, the space really sets up the style of its food.

Hill Country Chicken obviously sells chicken along with a host of homey sides, milkshakes, and a plethora of pies. I think the most common gripe I seemed to hear when people walked in was their prices. These guys aren't cheap - if you want to go to KFC it's going to be cheaper - I don't think the people at HCC will argue with that. I think it should be noted that it's not exactly located in a podunk town where you're likely to find podunk prices (even if the interior suggests otherwise). It's Manhattan and I'm sure they're not getting free rent here.

Since it was a late lunch and I knew I was heading to Uppido dinner, I just ordered the three piece chicken tenders ($7.50) and a small side of broccoli salad ($2.50). The chicken's good. Is it the best I've ever had? No, I can't say that it is, but I do think it's good. Nothing in here is cheap, but when you consider the location and the quality of the product, I think the price is in the ballpark.

Will I go back? I doubt it. With sooooo many places to go, here in the city, decent or sometimes even good isn't enough to bring me back. Now my wife and Taïm? That's a different story.

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Hill Country Chicken
1123 Broadway
New York, NY 10010
(212) 257-6446
www.hillcountrychicken.com