Biographical information courtesy of the Austin Chronicle.
See below for Austin Chronicle BBQ Links.

Meyers' Elgin Smokehouse

188 US290 E, Elgin, 281-3331

Sun-Thu, 10am-7pm; Fri & Sat, 10am-8pm

Since 1949, the Meyer family has been making sausage in Elgin from a precious heirloom recipe belonging to a German great-grandfather who emigrated to Central Texas. After years of operating a thriving mail-order business and successful wholesale marketing to grocery stores all over Texas, the current generation of Meyer brothers decided to expand the operation and added a restaurant last year. The sausage was already justifiably famous and the new restaurant is developing a following. In addition to two flavors of sausage, the smokehouse menu offers turkey breast, pork ribs, and beef brisket by the sandwich, the plate, or the pound. The traditional side dishes of beans, slaw and potato salad are available, plus pickles, onions, bread, and crackers. Everything comes on butcher paper or in plastic containers, with rolls of paper towels in strategic locations. Pull an ice-cold bottle of soda from the metal tub, find a table, and enjoy yourself.

While the delicious Beef Sausage ($4.75/lb) is the famous original flavor, we're partial to the Pork Garlic Sausage ($4.65/lb), also the best seller in grocery stores statewide. A simple link of these luscious "hot guts" with the pungent garlic flavor, doused with a little sauce and wrapped in soft, white bread explains why Elgin is now known as the "Sausage Capital of Texas." Fans of Meyer's plain, sage, or hot sausage can call ahead and request that their favorite flavor of links be thrown on the pit to be ready upon their arrival. The Pork Ribs ($6.89/lb) here definitely call for many paper towels and the Turkey Breast ($3.69/1*2lb) kept us in satisfying smoky sandwiches for several days. A pleasant discovery on a recent trip to Meyer's was a basket of cute little pie-lets from a company in Bastrop called Bluebonnet Pies. Though the miniature pies are in a machine-made crust, the fillings in the Southern Pecan, Chocolate Pecan, and Buttermilk Pies ($1.79 each) were very tasty. They were just the right size and sweetness to top off a hearty sausage meal. --V.W.