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

Southside Market & BBQ, Inc

1212 US290 E, Elgin, 281-4650

Mon-Thu, 8am-8pm; Fri & Sat, 8am-10pm; Sun, 9am-7pm

Our unofficial Mother's Day survey revealed that more mothers in Elgin chose to eat at Southside Market than any other restaurant in town. We observed many car loads of families escorting smiling, corsage-bedecked matrons into the bustling Southside dining room for hours that Sunday. We returned on a less hectic weekday afternoon to sample the fare at this legendary Central Texas sausage factory and restaurant. A family named Moon founded the sausage factory in 1882, and it has been run by its current owners, the Bracewells, since 1968. They maintain the factory and meat market, which they expanded to include a folksy, barn-like dining room with two serving lines where you can order a variety of smoked meats by the sandwich, the plate, or the pound. There's even a mini-ice cream parlor, serving up scoops of favorite Blue Bell flavors to satisfy the sweet tooth.

After tasting several selections from Southside's hot meat counter, it's easy to see how the business has thrived for over a hundred years. The famous signature sausage is reliably delicious, piquant but not overly spicy, juicy but not overly greasy. (Spicier flavors are available at the nearby meat market counter, where you can also get steaks, ribs, and chops to cook at home.) The pork ribs, lightly rubbed with pepper, were a standout: pink, sweet, and tender. The huge beef ribs offered plenty of moist meat and a good crispy end to gnaw on. Speaking of crispy, blackened ends: If you're one who prefers the crunchy ends of brisket and miss them now that most brisket is trimmed and lean, Southside will win a spot in your heart. It offers Brisket Trimmings for $2 per pound and they are mighty good, a true guilty pleasure. --V.W.