Hill Country Chicken

“A fresh fried chicken joint”

I do not want to start a debate with fried chicken enthusiasts, or get hung by Southerners on who has the best fried chicken in New York City.  Hopefully, we can agree that the fried chicken served at Hill Country Chicken is damn good. 

I’ve been here twice, and this place is always packed, no matter what time you go.  HCC sources out extra-large all-natural chickens, prepares them fresh daily, and the result is an immensely flavorful, crispy, and juicy piece of chicken.  They have three dining areas, with sidewalk seating open for the season, and a main dining area with plenty of large tables.  The downstairs area is a little more private, with plenty of more seating, as well as banquettes, offers a view of their prep kitchen, and also serves as a kid’s party area complete with board games and a classic Space Invaders arcade machine. 

The chicken here is sold by the piece, in both classic and Mama El’s (the founder’s grandmother) recipes.  Every piece of chicken offered here is brined in buttermilk, spices, and herbs, coated with a flour, egg, and cracker crust, and deep-fried to perfect crispy goodness.  Something else that may shock everyone is to know that the fried chicken served here is skinless.  With the cracker crust, though, let me tell you, you’re not going to miss the chicken skin at all.  They then toss it in a variety of spices.  My god.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 

The line moves quickly, and the menu is fairly large, so know what you want to order before stepping into line.  I came here for dinner after dining at Maialino for lunch earlier in the day.  Though I was still full from the burger hours later, the scent of the fried chicken was just calling me into HCC as I walked past it. 

I’ve had many of their sides before, and if you have room to eat them, definitely try them.  I especially love their coleslaw, and who can go wrong with cheesy mashed potatoes?  HCC also serves sandwiches (their chickwich is labeled as one of the best in the city), shakes, beers, and desserts (pumpkin pie is amazing).  If you’re gonna dine in, definitely opt for a fountain soda as opposed to a bottle.  The fountain sodas offered are from Boylan Bottling Co., and a small cup with free refills is almost half the price than anything else.

Two drums, a thigh, buttermilk biscuit, side of honey-mustard, and a fountain soda is what I settled on this time.  Free hot sauce is also offered.  The chicken was just so crisp and juicy, and the combination of sauces made it perfect.  The biscuit was a disappointment, though, as it was kinda dry and cold.  Oh well, can’t win them all. 

Fried Chicken, Biscuit, Hot Sauce & Honey Mustard

Hill Country Chicken

1123 Broadway #1

New York, NY 10010