It’s time for Bluebonnet-area barbecue to share the spotlight with its supporting cast, from potato salad to poblano spaghetti

Story by Eric Webb * Photos by Sarah Beal

Picture a plate of barbecue. Maybe you see brisket with peppery bark guarding a glistening streak of fat. Perhaps there’s a shiny link of sausage, the casing ready to snap and reveal the juiciness inside. Don’t forget the beef rib as big as you think your appetite is.  

When you’re talking Texas barbecue, meat always gets top billing.  

But where would Batman be without Robin, or Brooks without Dunn? Solid co-stars are essential to Texas barbecue, and no trip to the pit would be complete without the supporting cast of side dishes.  

Most barbecue joints in the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative region rely on the classics — potato salad, pinto beans and coleslaw. A few restaurants are shaking things up with a fresh take on side dishes.

Barbecue pros know that the side of the plate is valuable real estate, where nostalgia and creativity can be equally delicious. We toured the Bluebonnet service area and stopped at more than a dozen spots to sample side dishes and learn their backstories.  

IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS MEAT 

The Bluebonnet region is home to Texas’ oldest barbecue restaurants, and the oldest of all is Southside Market & Barbeque in Elgin. The business opened its first store in 1886 on Central Avenue. 

Hands-on, meat-only dining was the tradition there for decades, even after Southside was purchased in 1968 by the grandparents of current owner and CEO Bryan Bracewell.

Another of Texas’ oldest barbecue businesses, at 208 S. Commerce St. in downtown Lockhart, started serving smoked meats in the late 1800s. In 1900, Charles Kreuz Sr. bought that business and sold to-go barbecue. By the 1920s, Kreuz Market added tables for diners.

At the oldest barbecue spots, meats had only simple accompaniments — onions, pickles, whole jalapenos, slices of cheddar cheese, and crackers or white bread. This tradition lasted for decades. There were no forks at Kreuz Market, and butcher knives were chained to the tables.

In Elgin, Southside Market’s roots as a meat market with a small grocery section set the stage for those early garnishes. Customers would pick items from the dry goods section, then walk down the hall to the barbecue area for their meat. Eventually,  the garnishes were moved to where the meat was served.

Another longtime spot, The Original Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart, today at 215 N. Main St., has been owned by the Black family for more than nine decades. Edgar Black Sr. founded it in 1932 as Northside Grocery & Market, and the restaurant first began smoking meat to avoid wasting unsold cuts. Like other early barbecue joints in the region, Black’s served meat on pink butcher paper with the traditional bare-bones garnishes.  

PASS THE BEANS AND POTATO SALAD 

In 1992, Southside Market & Barbeque moved to its current location at 1212 U.S. 290 in Elgin. The restaurant was a spry 110 years old before the first side dishes were added to its menu. 

Barbecue businesses are often passed down through generations, with side-dish recipes plucked off the family tree. Adrene Bracewell, owner Bryan Bracewell’s grandmother, started using recipes passed down from her German-Texan family to make batches of pinto beans and mayonnaise-based potato salad — simple, budget-friendly options for families. 

Coleslaw was added to Southside’s menu around 2000, and it was another decade or so before macaroni and cheese, garden salads and baked potatoes were added to the menu.

It also took decades before side dishes made their way to the Kreuz Market menu in Lockhart. The restaurant at the old Commerce Street location changed hands in 1948 when the Kreuz family sold it to longtime employee and butcher Edgar ‘‘Smitty’’ Schmidt. 

Fifty-one years later, in 1999, the restaurant was renamed Smitty’s Market by Schmidt’s daughter, Nina Sells. 

The first side dishes made it to Smitty’s menu in 2001: potato salad and pinto beans, according to owner Sells. The beans, made from a Schmidt family recipe, take four hours to cook. Schmidt’s grandson, John Fullilove, brought a simple approach to the beans — only chili pods, bacon and salt are added for flavor.

Today, Smitty’s also offers coleslaw, green beans, creamed corn and macaroni and cheese, their most popular side dish.

Another Schmidt sibling, Edgar Schmidt’s son, Rick, retained the Kreuz Market name for his barbecue restaurant that opened in 1999 at 619 N. Colorado St. in Lockhart. Sides were introduced there in 2001. 

‘‘We started with beans and German potato salad, and it has evolved from there,’’ said Rick Schmidt’s son, Keith Schmidt, the current Kreuz Market owner. Today, those two sides and coleslaw are staples. The pinto beans are anything but a tray filler, thanks to big chunks of jalapeno, a spice blend and a not-so-secret ingredient from the pit: well-cooked chopped brisket.

Macaroni and cheese is the most popular side at Kreuz’s. Another side, sauerkraut, harks back to Kreuz’s German roots, with caraway seeds adding a traditional flavor to the fermented cabbage. Homemade banana pudding is a closing complement to the smoky, salty meats.

At Black’s, the first side dish was introduced in 1937 — pinto beans crafted by second generation co-owner Norma Black. The beans served there today still follow her recipe. Other sides followed in the 1970s, all made from family recipes. ‘‘It was a practical decision. My mother was a great cook. More and more people were eating out, and they wanted sides,’’ said Kent Black, third-generation pitmaster at the restaurant.

In Brenham, Nathan’s BBQ has been located at 1307 Prairie Lea St. for almost 15 years. Manager Cyndi Murski said their sides are prepared from recipes that originated with founder Nathan Winkelmann’s grandmother. The recipes evolved over time. Traditional potato salad joins coleslaw and baked beans on the menu, and Nathan’s creamy macaroni and cheese is its most popular side.  

About 13 miles east of Nathan’s is Chappell Hill Sausage Company, 4255 Sausage Lane. Frank and Clara Cone bought the business in 1968 and for decades produced sausage in bulk for regional stores. In the 1990s, the Cones and their children added a retail store, and in the early 2000s, they opened a restaurant on site. The business still sells sausage in bulk.  

Tricia Cone said Chappell Hill Sausage Company’s vinegar-based coleslaw and mayonnaise-based potato salad are made using family recipes her parents made at home. She and her siblings make the same dishes in their own homes today.

If you grew up in Texas, both taste like good memories. 

THINKING OUTSIDE THE PIT 

Some barbecue spots across the region stick with only the classic sides while others, like Outlaws BBQ at 1380 N. Main St. in Giddings, offer both traditional and unique side dishes.  

Outlaws is a popular spot for locals and travelers. They sell coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, green beans and pinto beans along with fan-favorite “Outlaw corn” on Fridays and Saturdays only.  

Co-owner Shane Hoffman is primarily the pitmaster. Jason Heuerman is “the side guy” who adds Velveeta, cream of mushroom soup, cream cheese and jalapenos to the corn for a unique twist, Hoffman said.  

Luling’s City Market offers its own take on the traditional side duo of beans and potato salad. Its beans are made fresh daily with bacon and salt, and pair well with potato salad and smoked meats, said Joe Capello, City Market’s pitmaster and manager.  

Another Luling barbecue joint, Luling Bar-B-Q at 709 E. Davis St., was founded in 1986. Co-owner Ken Blevins strives for crowd-pleasing tastes for the restaurant’s typical mix of lunching locals and urbanites driving in for a day. The pinto beans are seasoned with cumin for a Southwestern twist. The potato salad packs a lot of flavor and texture into one bite. Two of the restaurant’s most popular sides are broccoli salad and au gratin potatoes. 

In Burleson County, Matus Bar-B-Q keeps things simple but soulful. This family-run spot at 304 W. Buck St. in Caldwell has been a local favorite since 1995. Robin Matus and her daughter Renee Matus co-own the business and open the doors on Saturday and Sunday only from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Regulars know to get there ahead of the crowd because the restaurant often sells out of barbecue by 10 a.m. “We call it barbecue for breakfast,” Renee said.  

The sides are a modest but meaningful trio: pinto beans, green beans and potato salad. Both beans are made fresh in-house each day and cooked with bacon, because “bacon just makes everything better,” Renee said. What they lack in frills, they make up for in heart — and food that keeps customers coming back.  

Renee’s daughters Ember, 11, and Kennedy, 10, also work each weekend. Ember sells homemade bread that’s become a staple of the Matus experience. Renee’s son, Marshall, 16, cuts wood for the barbecue pit and takes care of the landscaping.  

New generations bring new flavors to tradition. Barbs B Q, a women-owned barbecue restaurant founded by Alexis Tovías Morales, Haley Conlin and Chuck Charnichart, is one of the newest names on the Central Texas barbecue scene and it is a bona fide phenomenon. The barbecue joint at 102 E. Market St. in Lockhart has made several best-of lists since opening in 2023. In November, the restaurant earned a prestigious Bib Gourmand from the inaugural Michelin Guide Texas, an award given to exceptional restaurants that offer good value. 

The sides at Barbs B Q are part of the reason for the acclaim. The restaurant serves boats full of black beans instead of pinto, and each bite is a flavor bomb. Sometimes you get a smoky slice of sausage, a salty crumble of queso fresco or a fresh note of cilantro. 

Stew might seem like an unlikely addition to the regional sides lineup, but Barbs B Q ladles a golden mixture of corn, squash and pork over a bed of white rice. 

The “green spaghett” is another side that has become a trademark: Creamy poblano sauce clings to slurpable noodles, with a flavor as vibrant as the color and a bit of spice in each bite. 

Merritt Meat Company in Fayette County also has adventurous tastes. Just steps away from Royers Pie Haven and nestled among vintage boutiques at 197 Henkel Circle in Round Top, Merritt makes yet another case for Bluebonnet-area barbecue. 

Merritt Meat Company was originally the Round Top Smokehouse and was renamed in honor of the late Lee Ellis, the former owner whose middle name was Merritt. The new owners, Abbie Byrom-Botello and Leonard Botello IV — who also own Truth BBQ locations in Houston and Brenham — wanted to build on Ellis’ legacy, including his menu, which featured some Asian-inspired dishes.

Vegetables get their share of the sides spotlight at Merritt. Oaxacan-style Brussels sprouts are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, drizzled in tangy, spicy sauce and tossed with a few kicky peppers. The traditional, crisp Texas-style coleslaw is light, with mustard seed-dotted strands of cabbage cutting the heaviness of the rest of the tray — we’re looking at you, pulled pork. 

Slow down in Washington County, or you might miss the corrugated metal structure that houses Truth BBQ at 2990 U.S. 290 in Brenham. It’s worth a U-turn for adventurous eaters. Truth’s corn pudding blends fresh, slightly decadent flavors for a comfort food that is soft and gooey, with a few caramelized pieces of gold studded throughout. It’s like eating kernels fresh off the cob and a homey Thanksgiving stuffing at the same time.  

Truth BBQ’s cooks know their way around cheese. The curly noodles of the restaurant’s hearty macaroni and cheese have a pleasantly chewy bite and cling to a zingy sauce. Breadcrumbs and cheese on top add texture and a layer of toasty flavor. Then there’s the tater tot casserole, tasting like a salty bag of potato chips smothered in a blend of cheese and cream.

Top it all off with Truth’s seasonal cake flavors, available now through the fall: triple chocolate, strawberry, coconut, banana and caramel.

Just down the road in Brenham, Matt Cummins, one of the lead cooks at LJ’s BBQ at 1407 W. Main St., has been handling the sides for a couple of years. There’s a practical purpose to traditional sides, he said. Simplicity in cooking means you pay attention to every single thing.  

Take, for example, the macaroni and cheese, LJ’s most popular side. Developed by pitmaster Corey Cook, it takes four to five hours to cook, Cummins said. They start the macaroni at 5:30 a.m., a low-and-slow process requiring constant stirring. 

Street corn salad, a more recent addition to LJ’s menu, is one of Cummins’ favorites. Smoky corn, charred poblano peppers, mayonnaise, sour cream, cotija cheese, Tajin seasoning and cilantro go into this side.

All these creative twists on traditional sides at barbecue spots across the Bluebonnet region beckon old-timers and newcomers alike. Still some folks prefer to stick with tastes that have withstood the test of time. 

Adrene Bracewell is 94 now, so she doesn’t come into Southside in Elgin much. The family brings the restaurant’s food to her.  

“She never tells me the recipes aren’t right, but I know I need to check on things if she asks me, ‘So who made the potato salad today?’ or ‘Who made the beans today?’ ” Bracewell said. “She’s too nice to just say it’s not right.” 
    He pays attention to her gentle hints. Who wouldn’t want to keep their grandmother happy? n 

— Sara Abrego and Kirsten Tyler contributed to this story

What’s your sides story? 

Barbecue in Texas is a must-have, but the plate isn’t complete without the side dishes. We want to hear your sides stories! Do you have a favorite barbecue joint side dish or a fond memory associated with one?  

Leave a comment in the barbecue story post on Bluebonnet's Facebook or Instagram for a chance to win a $50 gift card to your favorite Bluebonnet-area barbecue spot! The deadline is July 20, 2025. The winner will be contacted the following day. 

Check out this story as it appeared in the July 2025 issue of Texas Co-op Magazine

Lavender farms have firmly taken root, and more growers are experimenting with unusual crops across the Bluebonnet region

Story by Eric Webb  l  Photos by Laura Skelding

It's Saturday morning, and you’ve filled your farmers market bag with the staples — tomatoes, carrots, melons, peppers and a few fresh herbs. Now your wandering eye spots something surprising — pomegranates, figs, turmeric, tea from a native plant and an assortment of fragrant flowers.

Those and other interesting items are popping up at farmers markets, farm-to-table restaurants and farmers’ online shops in the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area. 

More growers across the Bluebonnet region are experimenting with unusual crops

Some growers want to diversify their operations. Others are willing to invest sweat equity into cultivating something different (like the lavender farms profiled on the following pages). Some turn a common native plant, like yaupon holly leaves, into tea. 

Then there are flower fans, such as the folks at Antique Rose Emporium in Washington County, who keep Texas’ oldest rose varieties thriving.

“When you think of a small farm or ranch, they may only be able to sustain a handful of livestock,” said Chase Brooke, a specialist on small farms and ranches for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. 

“Each farm and ranch is a connection for that community,” Brooke said. The popularity of farm-to-table restaurants in both small towns and big cities proves those connections are valuable.

John Grange is Burleson County’s agent for the extension service. For more than a decade, he has studied the county’s farming and ranching community, overseen the farmers market, and advised both new and established producers on everything from weed management and livestock care to getting the most out of their property. 

“The majority of new landowners are small-acreage farmers, most in the 5- to 20-acre tract size,” he said. At the farmers market, Grange has seen the offerings expand from produce, meats and eggs to more varied items, such as baked goods, plants and homemade products like jellies and soaps.

His advice to any would-be producer: “Know your soil types and weather conditions of the area.” 

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm

On a clear spring day, driving down FM 1155 a few miles northeast of Brenham feels like tunneling through a kaleidoscope. Verdant trees curve overhead, their branches touching, giving way to a brilliant blue sky. On the landscape, patches of fiery Indian paintbrushes warm the palette. 

Then, about half a mile down a side road, you hit the silvery purple payload.   

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm cultivates its namesake perennial flowering shrub, renowned for a calming aroma and homeopathic properties, on about 4 acres. This farm and Luling Lavender Fields are the two largest operations dedicated to the tricky art of coaxing lavender to bloom in the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area.  

Lavender has been used for at least 2,500 years for everything from bathing and cleaning to medicine and mummification. Now it’s likely to show up in soothing soaps, relaxing sleep aromatherapy and beauty products.

The plant has more than 450 varieties and is native to the Mediterranean, according to the U.S. Lavender Growers Association. It loves lots of sun, dry and rocky soil and temperatures in the 60- to 85-degree range. Stateside, you’re most likely to find it flourishing on huge farms in the Pacific Northwest. That raises the question: How can it survive in Texas’ hot, humid summers and occasional bitter winter freezes? 

Growing lavender requires patience, practice, adaptability and a willingness to accept challenges. When conditions are right, a flourishing lavender crop — with its calming scent and picturesque blooms — can draw a crowd.  

“I read something that said two out of every three people are stressed out these days,” said Debbie McDowell, who started the Chappell Hill farm with her husband, Jim, in 2003. “It's obvious with all the things going on, your work, your job, traffic, people are looking for something to help them relax.” 

The town of Chappell Hill is known for its Bluebonnet Festival every spring, but there’s no bad blood between these blooms. McDowell happily welcomes guests whose floral preferences lie a notch over on the color spectrum. Visitors often come to the farm as part of Brenham day trips or weekend escapes, traveling from other areas in the Bluebonnet region, and the big cities not far beyond. 

The McDowells lived in Houston before they sought retirement in paradise. “When we moved out here, it was all raw land,” Debbie said. She and Jim saw potential in the shade trees and a green hill rolling down to a pond. They’ve added a gazebo, three miniature goats and, of course, orderly rows of lavender bursting out of the ground. By Debbie’s estimate, around 1,500 plants are growing this spring.

Before they founded the farm, Debbie had some gardening experience but was no farmer. Admittedly, she thought of lavender as a laundry detergent scent. Inspired by a segment on a TV show, the couple bought a flat of lavender plants and stuck them in the ground, just to see what would happen. 

The lavender did pretty well. So, they cleared the field and bet on purple. 

The McDowells grow two varieties best suited to Washington County’s climate: Provence and Sweet lavender, with blooms that are a cool, almost silvery shade of purple, more ethereal than royal. Intensely purple varieties of lavender don’t grow as well in Central Texas, Debbie said. 

The Sweet lavender blooms first, between April and June. The Provence lavender, a culinary favorite, blooms July through September. Looking for another way to keep guests coming between lavender seasons, the McDowells planted fruit trees on their property a few years back. Peaches, figs, pears, persimmons and even blackberry bushes now grow a few yards away from the lavender beds. 

Nature has been a tough teacher. Originally, the McDowells planted in long rows, but as the lavender grew close together, high humidity caused problems. 

“They didn’t get enough airflow to dry the plant out,” Debbie said. “Moisture is lavender’s number one enemy.” They learned to space plants out and make rows shorter.

“In October or November, we plant and pray that we don’t have a freeze,” Debbie said. “If we have a hard freeze, we pull everything out, and we start over.” 

“The progress that we’ve made through the years, as far as learning what worked better for the plants and the products, I think that’s what I’m most proud about,” she said. “Because it takes time — a lot of ups and downs — to get there.”  

Leaving the gift shop, Debbie strolls along the rows of Sweet lavender. She snips a single stem decorated with spiky flowers and holds it up. It gently bends to gravity, curving downward. The plants need more sunlight and time in the ground, she said, before they’re ready for eager visitors to snip. 

“The people that come out here are just very special people,” Debbie said. “They’re the type of people that appreciate nature, flowers, serenity, quiet.”

Luling Lavender Fields

Luling Lavender Fields is owned by a couple who figured out the art of growing lavender in the region over time. Richard and Erin Leavitt wanted to make use of 10 acres of family land, easily accessible from the detour-friendly intersection of U.S. 183 and Interstate 10, a few miles southeast of downtown Luling. Erin’s late father, Bill Watson, bought the land in 1955, the year she was born.

The Leavitts visited lavender farms in the state of Washington, where Erin’s sister lives, doing field research to find a crop that could generate income. Once back in Luling, Richard set up an irrigation system on their land, punched the ground with a post-hole digger and sprinkled a little nitrogen-rich bone meal into the soil to help achieve the neutral pH that lavender likes. In 2017, they planted 2,000 lavender plants on 2 acres. 

The planter boxes where their lavender grows are painted the color of their contents. Elsewhere in the field, a gazebo, a bicycle, an old flatbed truck and a flamingo figure are the same hue. 

The Leavitts grow a few lavender varieties, including Super Blue and English. Once the tall Super Blue starts blooming in the spring, it doesn’t stop until the first freeze of winter, Erin said. Its flowers make great dried bundles, Richard said. The shrubby English lavender, often used in cooking, is more seasonal, usually blooming in April and fading by June.

Unpredictable weather isn’t the only challenge this farm deals with. Richard regularly faces off against thirsty fire ants that move into the drip lines and gophers’ tunnels that disrupt the plants’ root systems.  

“This used to be a rock quarry in the ’40s,” Erin said. “My family gave it to me because nobody wanted it.” 

Thanks to those rocks, the fields have great drainage. Lavender hates wet feet, which leads to root rot. Many amateur gardeners make the mistake of giving lavender too much water, Erin said.

The Leavitts’ shop sells a variety of starter plants that visitors can take home (as does Chappell Hill Lavender Farm). Erin always asks where folks live before giving out advice. Land with sandy soil works best for growing lavender in the Bluebonnet region, especially with all-day sun and a little fertilizer. Clay soil traps moisture, though, so folks in those regions should opt for a raised bed or a pot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade. 

“The way I water, I call it ‘drowned and dry,’ ” Richard said. His advice to home growers: “Let that pot dry out. When it’s dry, then you just want to drown it with water — pour way more water than you’d ever think — and then let it dry out for a couple days.”

Until recently, rows of lavender were there simply to admire. But last June, they allowed visitors to snip their own souvenirs for a change. It was a hit, so they let folks pick their own bundles again this spring.

“We couldn’t believe how many people did it in 100-degree heat, when the blooms were not great,” Erin said. “We realized it isn’t hard to do, and our visitors love it.” 

Perfect scents

By late April, it’s cutting time back at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm. On a perfect spring Saturday, sunny enough for a body to sweat but windy enough to dry it off, visitors pack the gift shop. Debbie McDowell and two assistants do it all — ring up customers, bundle fresh-snipped lavender and pour lemonade. 

The gift shop offers proof that lavender can be used in myriad ways. The shelves feature several different spice blends. You can pick up lavender fudge or the farm’s signature crunchy cookie with lavender. There are aromatherapy products made with essential oil. Handmade soaps rival anything you’d find at a big-box store. Lavender mosquito spray is a bestseller. 

Debbie makes some of the products herself, as does Erin Leavitt for her own well-stocked gift shop in Luling. On the shelves, visitors will find Erin’s lotions and potions. A painted shelf reading “lots of love, laughter and lavender” holds body products, like sugar scrubs, foaming bath salts and bars of soap. Elsewhere, there are sachets of dried lavender and boxes of lavender tea.

The Leavitts sell some of Luling Lavender Fields’ blooms in bundles, but they also source many of the gift shop’s goods from outside suppliers, including other small farms. 

At Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, employees give a pair of scissors and a flat-bottomed wicker basket to anyone looking to snip something. Bees and butterflies flit around people’s fingers. Bursts of fragrance hit their noses whenever their scissors sever a stem from its sisters. 

It’s calming carnage.

That soothing effect is what draws visitors to Luling Lavender Fields, too. “Lavender has reached the consciousness of the public as something that's really good for you,” Erin said. “It’s natural. It’s relaxing.” Their field welcomes all kinds of folks looking for the purplish peacemaker — girlfriends on weekend excursions, families with rowdy kids, curious groups from assisted living facilities. 

Lavender plants often flummox Central Texas gardeners. On that April day at Chappell Hill Lavender Farm, hopes sprang eternal. Undoubtedly, many of the day’s visitors drove out the gate and into the kaleidoscope, their car thick with that clean, soothing scent and their minds filled with visions of lavender blooms in their back yards.

— Melissa Segrest contributed to this story

Chappell Hill Lavender Farm

2250 Dillard Road, Brenham Farm and gift shop open March through November; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Open by appointment only December-February; holiday hours vary. 979-251-8114 chappellhilllavender.com 

Luling Lavender Fields

5 Arrow Lane, Luling Fields and gift shop open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily 830-351-4609 lulinglavenderfields.com

Here’s how to save on electricity while you’re away

As you get ready for your summer vacation, you’re probably thinking about bumping up your thermostat to save electricity and money. There are more ways to save electricity costs and keep your home safe while you’re away. Try these simple tips to save money and conserve electricity:

Raise your thermostat just 4 to 5 degrees higher. Turning it up too much can cause your refrigerator to work harder, using more electricity. Keeping your AC running at a slightly higher temperature also helps control humidity, reducing the risk of mold and mildew.

Before leaving, also:

• Turn off water: Shut off water to sinks, toilets and washers to prevent leaks or flooding.
• Close blinds or shades: Partially close blinds or shades. This blocks out the sun’s heat but creates the perception that someone is home.
• Use light timers: Set lights on timers or use your smart home system to simulate activity at home and avoid wasting electricity.  

Find more tips HERE.