The Best Side Dishes to Order from Texas BBQ Joints

From traditional to decidedly untraditional, they steal the show.

Ask anyone whatTexasis known for and you ’re likely to get two coherent answers : being really big and making great barbeque .

They ’re not faulty . Texas ’s barbecuetradition runs deep . Pitmasters enlist wood - fired smokers to falsify pith low and slow , ease up brisket , ribs , and sausage the same have it off attention usually reserve for amercement - dining kitchen . multitude across the commonwealth — even across the world — make pilgrim’s journey to Texas to see what all the fuss is about .

When it comes to Texas barbecue , brisket dominates the conversation — and rightfully so . The best instance are marbled with pleasant-tasting fatness , topped with a crispy , veteran barque , and upright enough to make visitors take up residence . But do n’t sleep on the sides .

Photo courtesy of LeRoy & Lewis

Potato salad , coleslaw , mac ’ n cheese , and pinto beans comprise the classicside dishquartet on menus around the state , and , when treated with caution , they make delicious complement to the main class . But , now and then , you find side beauty so honest , so unexpected , that you draw a blank all about that beef costa in your hand and plunk back in for more .

These are eight of the good side dishes you ’ll find at Texas barbeque joint . Some are creative takes on traditional pet , while others swan from the classic templates totally . They range from brisket - and - cream - cheese - stuffed jalapeños wrapped in Roger Bacon to smoky , creamy scallop potatoes , and habit-forming greens swim in a spicy gochujang stock . Add them all to your bucket list .

Texas Twinkies atHutchins Barbecue

Frisco and McKinneyHow do you improve on the spongy bite cake ? soft . Set it down and start over with jalapeños . Robert Maynard Hutchins begin serving Texas Twinkies in 2014 , and it ’s been a hit ever since . It glut the largest jalapeños it can find out with cream cheese and chopped brisket , wrap the peppers in thick - cutting bacon , and then smoke the meaty torpedo until the bacon is terse and translate . It ’s a complete bite . If you ca n’t get to the Twinkies , they ’ll go to you — Hutchins offers national merchant marine , so you may order a XII ( or several dozen ) and they ’ll be delivered flat to your door . How to examine it : Stop by for first - come , first - served seating area , or leverage via thewebsite .

Spicy Korean Braised Greens atFeges BBQ

HoustonFeges is the uncommon barbecue spliff where the sides might be the star of the show . Sure , the brisket , pork ribs , and deep-fried chicken are worthy plus to your collection plate , but Feges assign out more than a XII sides , from traditional ( coleslaw , charro Beans ) to untraditional , like the Moroccan Spiced Carrots and juicy Korean Braised Greens . The latter is a take on southerly - style super acid that sees gelt cooked in a brothy mix of gochujang , violent Melville Bell peppers , and ail . use up the tender greens , then take up up every last morsel of the potlikker with bread — or a spoonful . How to try it : Stop by for first - come , first - served seating , or order pickup via thewebsite .

Jalapeño Cheese Grits atGoldee’s Barbecue

Fort WorthThis relative newcomer open in other 2020 , and after weathering more than a twelvemonth of pandemic - relate trials , the new barbecue joint was namedTexas Monthly ’s best in the country . So , expect a blood line . But once you get through the doors , you ’ll find a small bill of fare of like an expert fume meats ( brisket , pork barrel rib , sausage balloon ) and attentive sides . loyalist like potato salad and coleslaw are conjoin by Jalapeño Cheese Grits , a warm and creamy dish that ’s flecked with peppers and cheddar tall mallow . The spicery write out through the richness to keep you coming back for more . How to sample it : Stop by for first - come , first - served seating .

Smoked Scalloped Potatoes atInterstellar BBQ

AustinThe chef behind the former Noble Sandwich Co. brought their artisanal ways to Interstellar BBQ , where the sides receive as much aid as the kernel . The best of the crew is the Smoked Scalloped Potatoes , in which thinly sliced spud are layered into a tub of pick and garlic , topped with a generous helping of shredded Parmesan , and then thrown in the smoker until that top stratum of cheese resembles a crackling creme brulee crust . It ’s not light , but it is delicious . Fortunately , Interstellar also dish up a bright , palate - waken Tomato Zucchini Salad to balance you out . How to examine it : block by for first - come , first - attend seating room .

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There ’s more toTexasthan just great barbecue , folks . Breathtakingly diverse landscapes , like Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas , offer a natural respite for outdoor enthusiasts while the San Antonio River Walk is a 15 - mile oasis for the urban Internet Explorer . No matter your interest , the Lone Star State is a holiday destination unto itself hold off to be explore , so , plan consequently .

Chicharoni Macaroni at2M Smokehouse

San Antonio2 M Smokehouse serves a card of traditional barbeque withTex - Mex accents , which can be seen in everything from the serrano - and - Oaxacan - cheese - stuffed porc sausage to brisket wetback served on fresh tortillas with pico de gallo . That treatment also applies to the sides , like the Pickled Nopales , Mexican Street Corn , and Chicharoni Macaroni . That last one is a serious departure from the pitiful , cafeteria - style mac ’ normality cheese that set the import it hits your home . 2 M ’s translation features creamy , white high mallow topped with crumbled chicharrones , providing a Lucy in the sky with diamonds of salty , porky crunch with each habit-forming bite . How to strain it : Stop by for first - come , first - served seating .

Burnt End Beans atCattleack BBQ

Farmers BranchCattleack is only open for three - and - a - half hours every Thursday and Friday , plus the first Saturday of each month ( Hey , when the food ’s this goodness , you may do whatever you need ) . Plan accordingly , then brave the line outside this unassuming strip promenade spot for wagyu brisket , some of the res publica ’s best and giving beef ribs , and — in a twist — North Carolina - expressive style whole - hog pulled pork . But also get the Burnt End Beans , a smoky , savoury one - two punch of baked beans lace with flavorful hunks of the prized meat . How to judge it : stop over by for first - come , first - assist seating room , or place bulk preorders for tone arm via thewebsite .

Creamed Corn atKillen’s Barbecue

PearlandRonnie Killen has built a restaurant empire in the Houston country , with construct spanning steakhouse , Tex - Mex , burgers , and barbecue . But his most darling dish might be creamed corn , which appears on several of his menus , including at Killen ’s Barbecue . Corn is trim wise off the filbert and then combined with Milk River , cream , butter , sugar , bloodless peppercorn , and cayenne pepper , plus a pinch of Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese . It ’s rich , luscious , and a good reason to have a salad later . But , for now , mate that corn with brisket , beef ribs , smoked turkey , or pull pork . How to stress it : Stop by for first - come , first - served seating , and ordering pickup or pitch viaToastTab .

Pork Hash and Rice atLeRoy and Lewis Barbecue

AustinYou’ll find out this fan - favorite barbecue trailer parked at Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden . The owners seed kernel from creditworthy Texas ranchers and put out briny like Akaushi Brisket ( available Saturday and Sunday only ) alongside Barbacoa and Pulled Whole Hog . Bringing in whole sloven means there ’s a lot of pork to go around , so LeRoy & Lewis comprise the redundant scrap into its Pork Hash and Rice . The pork and Timothy Miles Bindon Rice are combined with mustard and hot sauce and meet a green onion garnish . Rather than boasting large hunks of that pork , the dish eats like rice with rich bunce . If you require to make the side a meal , you’re able to upgrade to the Loaded Pork Hash and a hearty helping will be topped with salsa , crispy pork barrel skins , Fritos , and pickled smoked jalapeños . How to test it : contain by for first - fare , first - served seating room .