Hill Country Barbecue

Washington, DC

LoginSave

Hill Country is an anomaly for DC: a Texas-themed, cowboy-hat-filled joint, which doesn't feel corny; a barbecue spot that serves good smoked meat; and a live-music venue that hosts great honky-tonk shows. The sprawling, down-home space gets crowded on weekends, and the restaurant has been known to run out of its signature victuals by late evening.

During July and August, Hill Country operates a popular alfresco outpost on the lawn of the National Building Museum. Grab a hay-bale seat and join the fun 4pm to 9pm Thursday and Friday, and from noon on weekends.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • ALEXANDRIA,VA - JUNE 28: George Washington Mount Vernon on June 28, 2014 in Alexandria, VA USA. George Washington Mansion is visited by thousands of people every year.; Shutterstock ID 202385026; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Mount Vernon

    13.36 MILES

    One of America's most visited historic sites, Mount Vernon was the beloved home of George and Martha Washington.

  • National Air and Space Museum

    National Air and Space Museum

    0.5 MILES

    The legendary exhibits at the National Air and Space Museum include the Wright brothers' flyer, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St…

  • National Gallery of Art on the National Mall during spring in Washington D.C.

    National Gallery of Art

    0.29 MILES

    Two buildings. Hundreds of masterpieces. Infinite enjoyment. It's easy to spend a full day at the National Gallery of Art, which showcases a whole range…

  • 500px Photo ID: 100166741 - Pre-dawn at the Lincoln Memorial. "In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever."

    Lincoln Memorial

    1.57 MILES

    Anchoring the National Mall's west end is the hallowed shrine to Abraham Lincoln, who gazes across the Reflecting Pool beneath his neoclassical, Doric…

  • The Capitol, Washington, DC

    US Capitol

    0.79 MILES

    Since 1800, this is where the legislative branch of American government (ie Congress) has met to write the country's laws.

  • White House

    White House

    0.8 MILES

    Play image association with the words “Washington, DC,” and chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the White House. The president’s pad is…

  • arlington national cemetery

    Arlington National Cemetery

    2.41 MILES

    Sprawling across hills above the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery is the final resting place for America’s most revered…

View more attractions

Nearby Washington, DC attractions

3. Navy Memorial & Naval Heritage Center

0.08 MILES

The hunched figure of the Lone Sailor, warding off the wind with his flipped-up pea coat, is an oft-overlooked memorial in the city. The sailor waits…

4. FDR Memorial Stone

0.13 MILES

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt didn’t want a grand monument like the one that's now on the Mall. Rather, he said if there was to be a memorial to him…

5. Federal Bureau of Investigation

0.16 MILES

DC's concrete, brutalist FBI headquarters should be seen, if only to say you have laid eyes on the single ugliest building in the entire District. When it…

6. National Archives

0.16 MILES

It's hard not to feel a little in awe of the big three documents in the Archives: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights…

8. Ford’s Theatre

0.22 MILES

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln here. Free timed-entry tickets provide access to the site, which has four parts: the…