No puttin' on airs.
True, the restaurant is steeped in 1950s decor (including this nostalgic echo of the 1870s, one of several motifs that repeat within a little room, downstairs, normally open only to buckaroos). The atmosphere, however, is good-spirited and free of pretense, which suits homey fare like fried chicken (thighs, $3.50 each), in the skinless, cracker-crusted "Mama El's" style or the skin-on Hill Country classic. Both are juicy and full of flavor. The house biscuit (comped, usually $1) is very buttermilky; don't expect to find its equal on your local chuck wagon.
Hill Country Chicken
1123 Broadway (at 25th St.)
212-257-6446
www.HillCountryChicken.com
