Cedar Hill: Kitchen + Smokehouse

I've visited Cedar Hill a few times, but alas, they closed a few months ago.  This review is a bit delayed.

My first visit was inspired by the fact that I had some chili at home and I wanted a side to go along with it.  So, doing what I do these days, I pulled out LevelUp, to find somewhere suitable.  I quickly found a BBQ place, that seeded LevelUp with a whole $4!  I could buy some corn bread with that, which would go perfectly with my chili!

Cedar Hill was a cute place, with a few tables outside, a bar area, and some tables inside.  It was casual and friendly feeling.  I ordered my cornbread togo, which you can do at the bar.  It seemed like many people get take out from here.  While I waited, I examined their large selection of house made sauces, mostly bbq based, with a huge variety of flavor profiles.  I'm not really a bbq person, but if I were, I'd go back to try out their sauces.  Perhaps I'd go back just for sides, as I do love all of the things that go along with bbq, like mac and cheese, potato salad, etc.  They also run a food truck, The Rib Whip, which I've seen around town but never stopped at.

When I went to pay, no one knew how to use LevelUp.  Like my snafu at Fresco Pizza and Shwarma, their phone was also unplugged and dead.  But, they plugged it in, turned it on, and asked around until they found a cook who knew how to use it.  And unlike Fresco Pizza, they apologized and didn't act like I was the worst person ever.

On my next visit, the setup had changed somewhat.  It appears that everyone now orders at a counter, where the LevelUp phone is nicely installed next to the register. It worked flawlessly on my second visit.  The staff were very friendly.  When I mentioned how hot out it was, she offered me a plastic cup to fill with water togo, since I was getting my food togo.  Very appreciated!

Cedar Hill Cornbread : Housemade skillet cornbread with jam & butter.  $3.50.

The cornbread was served in a big wedge, with butter and sweet pepper jam on the side.  The cornbread had a nice gritty consistency from the cornmeal, but no real chunks of corn.  It was fairly moist, with a crisper top layer, and a very crisp bottom from being cooked in a skillet.  It was good, but not remarkable.

The sweet pepper jam was a nice touch, but I really wished the butter was honey butter!

I enjoyed this with my chili, but I would not go out of my way for it otherwise.

Small Side of Coleslaw.  $4.

They offer two varieties of coleslaw, a mayo based version and a vinegar based version.  I'm definitely a mayo version gal, but I asked for a recommendation just in case.  The person taking my order very promptly said she liked the mayo one best.  Good!

The slaw was made up of both red and green cabbage, nice and crisp, in assorted size chunks.  The cabbage was nicely prepared.  There was also a ton of red and green peppers.  I've kinda been anti-bell peppers lately, so this was disappointing.  There was a lot of it!  There was also some red onion.

The slaw was only lightly dressed, not all that much mayo, but also, just not much flavor.  Incredibly unremarkable.  I tried out a couple of their house made bbq sauces, hoping to amp up the flavor a little, but, it still was pretty lacking.

A small size was $4, and really not worth it.  This was as unremarkable as any grocery store variety, and at least twice as expensive.  Would not get again.