We had fried pickles as an appetizer, which I forgot to take a picture of. They serve them as spears instead of chips, which I usually don't like because chips are more fun, and also there is there is a greater fried batter to pickle ratio with the chips. Becky is basically a fried pickle connoisseur, and she prefers chips for the same reasons. However, we both loved the fried pickle spears at the Hill's. I think the secret is in the batter. It doesn't come out too oily, and it is perfectly crispy. Also it is kind of lumpy which gives it that homemade look.
The Hill's Chicken Fried Steak
It took forever for us to get our chicken fried steaks out and when we did it was slightly disappointing. They were lukewarm, and the meat was tough. The flavor was still perfect though. Also, Becky's dad and I got the yellow gravy instead of white. We asked the waiter what the difference is and he said "nothing but the color." I'd never had yellow gravy before, and it's true, there is absolutely no difference.
For sides I had okra and fried macaroni and cheese. Okra is always good, but remember that amazing batter I told you about earlier with the fried pickles? Definitely not used on the okra. It tasted exactly like the okra they serve in the cafeteria in Jester, like it had come out of a freezer ten minutes before and then deep fried a minute too long. I still ate every piece, but I am disappointed that my search for truly amazing okra must go on.
I'd heard of fried macaroni and cheese before, but never seen it with my own eyes. It is definitely one of the more interesting things I've seen done with food lately, while at the same time looking and tasting like something that should be served at McDonald's. They come in little triangles of friedness, not quite bite size, but a finger food nonetheless. I think I would have liked it, but for some reason all of the pasta would end up in one corner of the triangle and all the cheese ended up in the other corners. It was incredibly imbalanced. If you chew it up really quickly it's pretty good, but it also sits incredibly heavy in the stomach and there is no way I could eat more than two pieces (it came with about ten).
Ice Cream Nachos
This is a brand new dessert at The Hill's, and it was our waiter's first time making it. Here's what it is: cinnamon chips (the texture of a pita chip with the flavor of a churro), vannila ice cream, chocolate and strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and cherries (to look like jalapenos). It was okay, but it wasn't mind blowing, which I think it should have been if you're going to eat dessert after such a huge meal. The ice cream melted really quickly, and it was too messy to try to dip the cinnamon chips into it after that. We ended up only eating about half of them.
Overall, it wasn't the best meal ever, but still there is something very comforting about eating at Hill's. Being there is a completely relaxing experience. I think it's a combination of everything being made out of wood, the booths being very encapsulating, and the service being incredibly friendly. Even if the chicken fried steak was lukewarm and tough, I will go back there again and again.
