Elite Event at Hill Country Brooklyn

Five stars for Hill County putting up with the Unilocal attack! It was nice to have our own little Unilocal mezzanine with a live band. The food that I had was pretty good and the drinks were flowing for the hour we had before the Unilocalers killed the supply.
Though I do have a public service announcement:
I have said it once and I will say it again. DO NOT be that Unilocaler that is a Unilocal elite food jerk. I was elbowed out of the way numerous times trying to get a freaking dip of guacamole or a napkin. I saw people getting fifths and sixths before others even got firsts. It was very irritating. Unilocal Elite — manage yo’ plus ones, will you? Everyone gets their money’s worth when there is free food. Chillllllll…

This space is huge and has a second floor you can reserve for events. The staff was great. This is a super convenient space to have an event for us South Brooklyn folks.
The Texas Rose was seriously sour and somehow I kept getting handed them, so I just went with it. The SKY vodka ran out early, but that’s probably for the better.
I felt bad for the servers, who were under siege every time they came out with fresh trays of food. The brisket ends, sliders, and wings were great. The mac and cheese bites were different on each tray, which just meant you could decide if you wanted them crispy or not. Chips and guac were a nice touch. Hill Country and Unilocal really did a great job organizing this — there was tons of food and the band really added something to the experience.
I have to admit that Texas style BBQ is not my top choice. The day after a friend was seriously horrified that this is not my favorite BBQ place in Brooklyn. We all have our preferences.

Holy spacious! We could have Unilocal-​ed the night away with drink, food and song at Hill Country’s spacious upstairs bar/lounge…except for the part where the drink ran out a mere halfway through the event. Being the alcoholics that many of us are, this put an unfortunately abrupt stop to the party and without an official Peter D. loudspeaker announcement it was a bit of a rude awakening if you went to the bar and were informed you needed to shell out some shekels.
Bennett Jackson’s band was a wonderful treat to the event. If Unilocalers didn’t have such laser vulture eyes for free hors d’œuvre maybe we could have turned the whole thing into a hoe-​down! Unfortunately, nothing that night could peel hungry eyes off the tray hands of unsuspecting Elite Event servers. You’d think with all the space we had the flow of food would be easy, but try as they might the servers rarely got past the hordes of folks clogging the kitchen entry/​exitway, so food tasting was scarce.
Huge kudos to the staff though, they really did seem to be trying their best to get everyone a taste. Most of what I had was really delicious (though I wasn’t that enamored by the mac in pastry shell), particularly the wings. Skyy vodka seemed like a really odd choice to highlight Hill Country and their food. I’m sure its not their most popular liquor, and I would have been interested in something they’re really fans of that pairs well with their southern cookin’. Glad to know this space exists, seems like a great spot for when I have carnivores in town!

Well the first elite event I was disappointed in. I would have thought Hill Country would have came with their A-​game in the choice of food that was served at the event. I don’t know how the food selection gets chosen but I feel like because the restaurant was already established they didn’t do their best. But them chicken wangs and guac was not bad.
Customer service was good though.
As always, it was a really nice meeting new people and even gaining a new Unilocal buddies and got recommendations for other restaurants in the area. As always I commend Peter for working the room and always asking for our feedback and making each Unilocal event a different experience from the other.

I’ve been to the location in the city a few years back and was excited to try out the new location in our borough. What a huge spot!
The food was great. Those lil’ mac and cheese pies were adorable. The BBQ sliders hit the spot and the spice rubbed wang was delish.
I was taken aback when at 8pm the drinks were finito. Then my ungrateful a$$ remembered that it’s quite a privilege to be invited to the these events so I went for it and ordered a few texas tornadoes. Perfect summer drink on a lovely evening in Downtown Brooklyn.
Thanks again to Peter D et al for a great time.

Texas style BBQ! What an awesome event Peter D and the Brooklyn squad put together for us. Walking into this event was unusual, as normally there is a huge line outside so you know where to go. For this event, the aforementioned line was inside the restaurant. Also unusual was the fact that the restaurant was open to the public, which turned out to be rad, as we had our own closed off balcony to hang out in. Nothing like a private balcony with a band to boost your ego, but hey that’s how Unilocal rolls. The band was awesome, they were playing country and western music that really set the mood and added to the Texas style atmosphere — seriously, what a nice touch.
BBQ is not my go to style of food normally, but after coming to this place that might just change. The brisket was awesome, the wings were amazing, and those mac and cheese bites were to die for. The only thing I didn’t get were the drinks. Don’t get me wrong, free drinks are always the best kind of drinks in my opinion, but I just don’t get how vodka and BBQ fit together; like a said though I’m no BBQ aficionado, so what do I know. The fact that they ran out after an hour was kind of a bummer, but again Unilocalers are a thirsty bunch, and the drinks were well made; not a huge surprise, albeit a sad one haha.
All-​in-​all awesome party, thanks again to Peter D, Ruggy J and all the rest of the Unilocal crew for throwing such a fun event.

I do love the summer time, because I can go to all the lovely BK Unilocal events! (Thank you Peter D!)
So I have been to the Hill Country BBQ spot in the city once and thought it was okay… so when I saw there would be an event at the Brooklyn location I thought why not.
Definitely happy I did b/​c I was able to find dishes I liked and wished I had the 1^st time. The lil mac & cheese pie were cute. They also were pretty tasty. The brisket especially the crispy pieces had me salivating.
The drink of the night for me was the texas rose drink… it was good one and I was able to knock back a few before the sky vodka was done. Lol
I see a visit here in the near future for some brisket ;-)

Just when you think that the AMAZING Peter D cannot top his last event, he comes back even stronger! I am glad and thankful that I was selected for this event since I am quite familiar with Hill Country and their great food.
The evening started out well, early arrivals chatted and bought pre-​event drinks downstairs and my +1 (at her first event) was in awe at the Unilocal presence. Peter came downstairs and escorted us up to Hill Country’s great venue upstairs where we were greeted with Brooklyn Passports (great — thanks!) And the fantastic sounds of the Bennett Jackson band.
The drinks started flowing early and it was great that the staff came out fast and often with drinks, kudos to such a great staff who deserve many thanks. I remember especially Marcos, but want to thank all of the great servers! I had no problem with the alcohol running out early — it was a large event, the drinks were being served quickly, and the point of the event is not to get sloshed for free.
It did not take long for the food to come out and we were graced with tasty selections of BBQ wings (nice kick of smoky spicy flavoring), mac and cheese mini bites (a mini bite of heaven), and chunks of beef brisket (among the best I have ever sampled)!
I am glad that +1s were able to be at this event, my friend got to see how great Unilocal events can be, met some nice folks, chatted/​networked, and ran into an old co-​worker and friend she had not seen in a few years! While groups tended to be a bit amongst themselves, I mingled and met a few friends (Tonya R and Kia S) and met a few new folks as well (Justin L).
All in all, a great event! Great food, music, and venue with excellent staff! I have no problem with the depletion of alcohol (not the focus of the event), and Peter D hit another home run (and took a pic with me!)
I will definitely come back to Hill Country Brooklyn! Thanks again Unilocal

Fun times with the Unilocal crew again! Can’t believe they rented out the entire upstairs area.
Good live band, good bartenders/​servers, and enough food to go around.
The drinks stopped a little before 8, but the food was still flowing. The smoked wings were good (and soooo smokey). The brisket was okay.
Thanks Pete (congrats on getting hitched!), Jane and Ruggy for repping Unilocal

The highlight of the event for me was probably the vodka and the band. Thank you Bennett Jackson’s band for a great show! Not often you get to hear live music at a Unilocal event or in general and it was appreciated! The Texas Rose was potent even though I’m pretty sure that’s Hill Country’s fancy way of naming a vodka cranberry. Unfortunately, it ran out by around 8 o’clock. Though, I didn’t even notice until like 20 minutes after the fact. «Why is everyone leaving?» «I dunno.. . maybe they’re frustrated with not getting to the food people». Shifts eyes. «Look, there are abandoned chips and guac that no one is paying attention to! Run.»
I missed a lot of food as it first came out because people dove in at an astonishing rate at the speed of light. Finally though after a scrawny pulled pork slider on toasted potato bun that I could have lived without, I spotted fatty cubes of brisket and dove into the herd. I would have gladly taken an elbow to the face for that fatty smoky brisket. It was divine. Also, those mac and cheese bites are possibly the best I’ve ever had. I’ve only had them a few times before at other places but always find a mac and cheese bite turns hard and congealed or looses flavor. Something fails in the final process. But this was both warm and flavorful with a thick pie crust that held. Now, lets make a mega version of that sucker. The smoked wings were alright as well.
I’ve been to the Manhattan version a few times because Once Upon a Time Steph P. from Unilocal used to have her birthday there EVERY SINGLE YEAR. (Not exaggerating or kidding at all) Then finally started to switch things up. But I’ve always enjoyed their meats and their booze and paying bills here with numerous guests gets super easy. I had a pretty good time at the new location and event and after we realized there was no more vodka we went downstairs and ordered sides from the actual restaurant — Longhorn cheddar mac and the bourbon sweet potato mash were both quite excellent if you ever come back and dine in.

My +1 laughs at me because I’m an Elite Unilocaler who attends events and doesn’t drink. I had surgery, so gimmie a break! So when I asked the bartender to give me change for a 20, he charged me instead for soda. Oh well — tips.
The live band and two complimentary SKYY cocktails (varying in strength) were nice to keep everyone occupied and mingling — but like all (new) Unilocalers arriving at an Elite event, they were hungray. I managed to score some wings and my +1 noted that it was pretty red. I’ve never eaten much smoked chicken, but thankfully CM Peter D and new buddy Amy N. schooled me that the meat’s color is from the seasoning and that if the juice is clear, it’s good to go. Looking back, the chicken was the best sample of fare Hill Country had to offer.
Other samples included pulled pork sliders, beef brisket, mac n cheese bites, and tortillas n fresh guac. Thanks for the great times!

My very first YEE! Yay! I was not able to make it onto the guestlist but was able to tag along as a +1 with my homegirl Joanna N., thanks Jo! Was also able to meet a couple of great people as well.
A very intimate experience indeed. Tasty food, refreshing drinks, live music and great vibes! There were food being walked around, but won’t really make it to your area since they’d all be gone by the minute, not even, the second it walks out that door. If you wanted first dibs, guess where you would have to wait around? Haha.
Let’s make this short, everyone else is probably writing about the same, even though I can go on and on about how good everything was. My favorite were the burnt tips! Big pieces of moist goodness served on it’s own, no sauce needed. Chicken wings, well seasoned and smokey. We managed to also grab a few bites of the mac n cheese tarts which were tiny pieces of creamy heaven. Mini brisket sliders were also a big hit as well. Skyy were served at the bar, sadly I only had 1 drink for the night, had to drive my fat self home. Next time I’m just gonna take public transportation, missed out on all the free drinks!
Nonetheless, what a way to celebrate being an Elite, and tasting delicious foods at new restaurants. This party was what I anticipated! Thanks Unilocal,hope to see you all in future events!

I had no idea there was a Hill County here! What a great location!
Loved the set up of the upstairs area.
The staff at Hill Country were fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed the friendly service and the occasional table service when being handed a drink! The Skyy Vodka cocktails were delicious (and having not imbibed alcohol in quite a while, I had quite the hangover this morning!).
I managed to taste a chicken wing which was so very delicious and I also tasted some brisket on a stick. I saw some mac and cheese bites, sliders, and chips but the trays never made it to my side of the room (thanks vulchers). The aroma of smoked meats had my guest and I feeling all kinds of hangry and before we knew it, we were saying deuces and heading downstairs for dinner. That was epic. The bites were so good, we ordered a feast downstairs.
Going home to the fiancé smelling like bbq… super sexy.

Thanks for a great Bk event, Unilocal Team!
The space was huge, it just kept opening up and up into barn like vastness. Perfect for the band’s tunes to fill.
I’m not sure I made it too far into the venue before the food came out and was swarmed. We ended up just hanging there as the epicly cheesy Mac and cheese bites (my hands down fav, such a surprise!) the brisket bowls (bless those servers and their guns of steel for holding the bowls as we stabbed juicy chunks o meat!) tiny sliders, and chips/​guacamole were brought in.
The drinks were super yum too, if not totally flowing (ahem ;) and very well made by the in the weeds bartender. Thanks for the hustle along that huge bar. A champ.
So nice to see some familiar faces and enjoy some American tunes and grub. love ya Brooklyn!

Whenever I hear a last call before I’m ready to stop drinking it means a few things
1) I need to call my sponsor,
2) I’m in San Francisco or some other city where they’re anal about their early last calls,
or
3) I’m at another Elite Event where the alcohol sponsor (not mine) didn’t provide enough booze.
Usually this is no fault of the actual host, in this case, Hill Country Brooklyn. It just means the booze sponsor that evening didn’t give enough for the masses, and I do mean masses in more way than one, for the Unilocal Elite.
However, whenever it does happen, I usually can’t fathom giving it a five star review. This event however, deserves five stars despite the well of vodka (Do you see my subtle diss?) drying up before 8 o’clock. Well done Hill Country.
I arrived at seven and the place was getting packed. We luckily had our own area upstairs, which provided ample room for all of us. It was a great crowd of people to go along with everyone’s plus one.
While the drinks did stop at eight, they were flowing often before that point. The waiters were coming around and handing them out. I was very grateful that I didn’t have to stand at a crowded bar. The bartenders made them all at once, gave some out to people at the bar and the rest to the waiters. Those guys deserved every tip that came their way. The cocktails themselves were tasty, though at the expense of their potency. Regardless, this event was not about the drinks. It was about the food and the music.
Bennett Jackson’s Band was a pleasure. Serenading us with some kick ass Texas Tunes. They paired well with some amazing BBQ! I love good wings, who doesn’t? Communists? Maybe. I however, am not fan of just any wings. If wings aren’t top notch, I don’t care for them. These bad boys, I care for. I think the perfect word would be succulent. They were meaty, with plenty of flavor. Next were the Mac n Cheese Bites. Delicious mini servings of Mac n Cheese in a little quiche. I’ve recently realized that you shouldn’t eat too much Mac n Cheese in one serving. Damn you $ 30 serving of Lobster Mac n Cheese, you have forever tainted my Mac n Cheese experiences! You’ll lose your desire to consume all of it, if you have too much. Random bites sprinkled over the course of my evening was perfect.
At this point, the food was being hoarded as if it were the cure for a major pandemic. I usually sit at the bar at Elite Events. This evening the bar was right next to the kitchen so I got to see the action unfold as it went down. Wow! I’ve made jokes about it in the past, but WOW! People will just stand there waiting. For more and more food. One dude was standing there, while he was still eating all the food he already had and proceeded to grab more when a new tray came out. It was amazing, however Hill Country did not back down. It was almost as if they were daring these people to eat as much as possible. You want more? COME AND GET IT! And Hill Country won!
Over this time some delicious pork sliders came out. They didn’t blow my mind, but they used potato bread for their buns. That automatically puts them in a special place in my heart. Hopefully not blocking an artery. The last thing to eat were the giant cubes of brisket. That’s right. Big pieces of brisket, diced up, in large cubes. About the size of a fancy cocktail’s ice cube. I missed my first opportunity as the zombies devoured the first tray and I think a waiter. Next time around, I almost missed out again, luckily Kia saved the day. She snagged me a giant cube of salty, tasty, goodness for me. I am forever grateful.
As an added bonus we were given Brooklyn Passports, which encourage us to check out some local places by offering a free first drink. Sure enough I’m already heading to two of those spots this week. Thanks guys!
Eventually the hordes of people started to back away from the kitchen and the staff was safe to come out again. It wasn’t even nine yet, but the Unilocal crowd had enough. High five, Hill Country. You put on a show, despite your staff being bit by a Unilocaler or three. It sucks the vodka ran out, but hey I’m able to leave a review the night the event actually happened. That never happens. Loved the Bennett Jackson Band. Great live music always keeps my spirits high. As always thank you Unilocal staff. Ruggy, Jane, Ashley, Jessie and to Pete for organizing such a great time. Cheers! Oh wait, I don’t have a drink.

NYC is sporting a hot weather theme. What better venue for an elite event than bbq in August!
This place is huge. Even from the outside plus it smells heavenly. Walking inside we asked, oh where is the Unilocal event? Then saw the giant line up the stairs. Of course there is a huge second floor
Once we checked in with Ruggy and got our name tags we accessed the situation. Large space, band, open bar. All things that the Unilocalers enjoy. They offered skyy and soda or skyy cran and lemon mix. Once the food was served we were hooked. First chips and guac or dip. Then Mac and cheese bites or brisket on a stick or pork sliders! I actively got upset with my date for getting 3 times the amount of Mac and cheese than I did.
The only con was the lack of free booze come 8pm. We were only one hour in and I heard «this is actually the last round of skyy» Wompwomp. Still got a few free drinks, a few free bites and a great time. Thank you Unilocal for everything! I’m always thrilled to enjoy a new spot with new friends and a few great drinks!

I love Unilocal events!!!
So I got to Hill Country a little after 7 but I didn’t go in yet because I didn’t want to start the fun without the bf. We got in around 8pm and when we got upstairs, they were out of name tags. Oh no.
Upon walking around we ran into our friend Mitch E. who informed us that the drinks were done, but that was fine because there was still some food coming out. I was lucky enough to still be able to try the little mac and cheese cups, the pulled pork sandwiches and the nice chunks of brisket! Very yummy!
The guys and gals serving were so nice even though they were literally mobbed each time they took two steps out of the kitchen. At some point we saw one of the guys go behind the bar and come out the other side so that other Unilocalers could have a taste and the swarm flocked over there. They were great!
The music from Bennett Jackson’s band set the evening up with some good vibes with our tasty eats.
I even got to officially meet and take a picture with the awesome Peter D. It was like meeting a celebrity lol He’s so nice AND he knew my (last) name (initial)!! The best ambassador reps Brooklyn!
As always, I had a great time at another Unilocal Event! Can’t wait for another one!
Thanks Unilocal!!!

What’s up y’all?
This event… leaves me speechless. I am a Texan, and Hill Country represents Texas in no way most will understand. Hill Country takes after Kruez Market and already has a successful outpost in Manhattan, and a Unilocal event at Hill Country is an event I am truly thankful for.
Drinks provided were simple yet perfect, and sponsored by SKYY. They offered us a SKYY and soda, or a SKYY, cran, lemon-​line soda called The Texas Rose. I’m a huge fan a BBQ, especially Texas BBQ, and tonight’s food was decadent. Brisket-​burnt ends (one of my favorites). Brisket sandwiches. Chips and guacamole (wait, I thought that was Mexican! But still great!). And wings. All so good.
Thanks to Peter D, Ruggy, Jane, and Ashley — and especially Hill Country Brooklyn for hosting us, Bennett Jackson band for their awesome tunes, and BKLYN Passport for the drink deals all around Brooklyn.

My first Brooklyn event and it was awesome! I didn’t realize Hill Country opened up a location here until very recently so I was pretty excited to check out this location.
The second floor was reserved for us – super spacious and relaxed. There were Brooklyn Passports strewn on all the tables — I made sure to grab one of those! The drinks of the evening were the Texas Rose and SKYY + soda. One Texas Rose in and I was done for the night! Cheap drunk. If it takes more than one to do you in, there was no need to leave your fellow Unilocalers for the Boot Bar — waiters were walking around with trays of drinks ready for grabs every 7 seconds. Awesome!
The food was definitely flowing as well, with platters coming out at every turn. There were definitely eagle eyes all around, hha. Small bites of the evening included mac and cheese tarts, chips and guac, brisket ends, brisket sliders and chicken wings. My favorite was def. the wings! So meaty and spicy, yum.
For entertainment, Bennett Jackson played live. First song in and I made a mental note to Spotify. Immediately. So catchy and chill!
Brought my newly elite friend, Amy N. and she had a blast as well. Yay Brooklyn!

This event was AWESOME! I used to go to Hill Country in DC and I really like the food. It’s great to have one in Brooklyn!
The food and drinks were great! The band was really good and it was a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed the Mac n cheese quiche snacks!
I’m normally not a vodka drinker, but the bartenders were awesome and I didn’t even realize I was drinking it. All of the servers were friendly and they kept the food and drinks coming!
Thanks Peter for another awesome event!