Hill Top Cafe - Fredericksburg

NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 23:04:48 CDT
Xref: pale-rider.INS.CWRU.Edu austin.food:4771

Sunday night we tried the much-hyped Hill Top Cafe, about 15 miles e. of Fredericksburg on the Mason Highway.

The meal began on a high note with a wonderful warm, yeasty bread brought to our table.  The service persons were reasonably prompt and knowledgeable, quick to clear empty plates and refill water glasses... good, mid-level service, but not upscale by any means.  The decor was "antiquey / trinkety", with lots of old signs, horns, rusty widgets and gizmos, and other assorted junk adorning the walls and ceiling... you probably know the style.

We started with cups of garlic soup and shrimp gumbo ($2.95). Both tasted of burnt roux.  The shrimp gumbo contained exactly two small shrimp.  Not a good start.

Next came Maryland crab cakes ($8.95).The two crab cakes would've been more accurately described as 'crab bites',  about the diameter of a regular crab cake but not much thicker than a saltine!  Two bites each and they were gone, a ridiculously small amount of food for $9.  Flavor and texture were unimpressive.

Next, for an entrees, we both ordered the seafood-stuffed shrimp ($21.95).   A very small, saucer-sized salad preceded it, for which we were given no choice of dressing.  Fortunately is came with a very tasty vinaigrette, but was otherwise quite ordinary.  No fresh cracked black pepper was offered, just regular fine-grind table shakers.

About this time a pianist began playing various pop renditions, at a volume that made conversation difficult...

When the shrimp arrived, we were disappointed to find only 3 medium-large shrimp per order, about one large mouthful each.  The shrimp were overcooked and rubbery, but the crab-crawfish stuffing was delicious.  The accompanying 4 vegetables were equally skimpy in portion size and generally unsatisfying... about two heaping tablespoons each of white/wild rice (loaded with hard kernels), plain black beans, and a nondescript okra-tomato dish, and exactly four sautéed green beans.

When the waitress asked how everything was, we politely told her the shrimp were tough, almost too tough to cut.  She summoned the chef who offered us whatever other dishes we wished in exchange.  We thanked him, and my s.o. chose the beef medallions at the chef's recommendation.  I requested the chef choose for me. My s.o.'s steak was tender enough but again overcooked and drowned in a puddle of tasteless hollandaise-type sauce.  The chef had selected for me the grilled tuna steak topped with the same crab-crawfish stuffing as the shrimp.  The seafood stuffing was again wonderful, but the tuna steak was also overdone (a pattern forming here?  :-/)... grainy and dry all through.

We now sensed a slight coolness in our waitress and the newly non-smiling hostess... perhaps they could tell we were still displeased.  They made no attempt to find out if we liked these dishes or not.   Needless to say we didn't hang around for dessert.

Summary: Small portions of high priced, mediocre food, served a long way from anywhere in a noisy, tacky pseudo-roadhouse setting.  Reservations required.