1882 | Elgin, TX
Southside Market is born
In 1882, William Moon started Southside Market by raising and slaughtering animals on FM 1704 in Elgin, TX. He carried the meat into town by horse-drawn wagon and sold it door-to-door. He had to sell it fresh or lose it to spoilage.
Therefore, the Smoked Sausage and BBQ was created simply from having fresh meat and no refrigeration. In 1886, Moon opened his first brick and mortar store on Central Ave. In 1908, he sold the business to Lee Wilson who continued to serve the Elgin community as the small town butcher shop that sold BBQ in the back.
1930s | Elgin, TX
LEGEND HAS IT
Bud Frazier was a colorful character who worked for Southside from early 1895 – 1971 and witnessed much of our history in the making. Later in life, Frazier told the story of Lee Wilson wanting him to take over and giving him the business, twice. But, the deals never held up.
According to Frazier, Southside also changed hands several times at regular Wednesday night card games. He claimed that several Thursday mornings he showed up to work for a new boss. Through luck and persistence, Wilson always maintained ultimate control. That is until he sold the business in 1942.
1968 | Elgin, TX
BRACEWELLS BUY SOUTHSIDE
On Sept. 1st. 1968, Ernest W. Bracewell, Sr. and wife Adrene bought Southside Market & BBQ. Ernest was born in Stockdale, TX and graduated from high school in Lytle, TX before marrying his high school sweetheart and serving in the Korean War as a U.S. Marine.
Later, as a meat salesman for Armour & Co., he called on Southside as one of his clients. After buying Southside, Bracewell delivered meats to area grocers, including a then small H. E. Butt Grocery Co. He also offered Southside’s homemade Elgin Hot Sausage to the stores and the Elgin Hot Gut legend began to grow!
1992 | Elgin, TX
MOVE TO HWY. 290
In 1991, Ernest Sr. purchased the old Security National Bank building and land on Hwy. 290. He and his son, Billy, began remodeling to create a new home for Southside, adding the pit room, kitchen, meat market, and meat plant. July 1, 1992 - first sausage stuffed at the new location. July 16th - opening day for the restaurant.
The Bracewells also added beans, potato salad, baby back ribs, and tea. The previous menu featured only meat by the pound, bottled soda, pickles, jalapeños, and onions. Three decades later, Southside is still going strong at 1212 Hwy. 290 in Elgin, TX.
2014 | bastrop, TX
THE LEGEND CONTINUES
After more than 132 years in Elgin, Southside made the decision to open a second location. For the first time in Southside's history, they built a restaurant and market from the ground up.
Combining elements salvaged from their original location in Elgin with local Bastrop wood and resources, the details speak for the company's respect of history and hopes for the future. On November 4, 2014, at the time of Southside’s Grand Opening at 534 Hwy. 71 in Bastrop, Southside could boast being the “Oldest and Newest BBQ Joint in Texas!”
2019 | austin, TX
FROM THE SAUSAGE CAPITAL TO THE STATE CAPITAL
On November 24, 2019 Southside officially set up shop in the big city of Austin, TX at 10515 N. Mopac Expy. In this bustling urban area they created a unique restaurant and dining experience that maintained the hometown hospitality and rural atmosphere of their earlier BBQ joints which, of course, included authentic Central Texas BBQ smoked low and slow on-site over real Texas post oak wood.
This North Austin location offered a more convenient pit stop for many of Southside’s longtime fans while also paving the way for new relationships with old-school BBQ enthusiasts.
2020 | hutto, TX
MORE GROWTH
The Hutto location features an outdoor patio, a drive-thru for easy ordering on-the-go, and offers Southside's premium seasoning blends, smoked meats, sauces, and more for sale.
Whether you're a local, passing through, or looking to take a road trip to enjoy real Texas BBQ, the Hutto location is a must-visit stop in Central Texas.
proud to be the oldest barbeque joint in texas
Our purpose is still to stay true to our roots of over a century - delivering Authentic, Central Texas BBQ, smoked low and slow over post oak fired pits at each location fresh daily, served with Texas friendly hospitality, and supporting the communities that we serve, all while building a team full of servant leaders. We love to know when we hit the mark and we value knowing when we have a misstep so we can make corrections and honor our commitment to serve everyone with excellence and integrity. We look forward to delivering on this promise daily and we look forward to serving you soon, thank you for being our guest.
Mission & Vision
We're proud to be the oldest joint in the state serving consistent food for over 140 years. We've maintained our quality and tradition by sticking to what we know to be true.
Our mission is honest: we provide Southside quality food, excellent guest service and Texas hospitality.
Our vision is to enrich lives through the tradition of authentic Central Texas barbeque.
Our Values
We believe in servant leadership and adding value to our lives and communities by serving others. We push our team everyday to start and finish strong while doing the best we can with what we have.
Our commitment to integrity, our team, and our guests makes us uniquely who we are.
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