The small town of Giddings is about 55 miles east of downtown Austin, at the intersection of U.S. Route 290 and U.S. Highway 77. Since I began tagging along on Kel's work trips to Houston a few years ago, we've driven through town dozens of times but have never tried the restaurants in Giddings, TX.
So, we picked this rural highway town of 5,000 residents as our staging ground for an early morning visit to Snow's BBQ in Lexington, about 17 miles north. We took a Friday afternoon in early December off from work and drove the one hour from Austin to Giddings, hungry for lunch and a little exploring.
If the idea of getting in line at Snow's BBQ at 5 a.m. gives you a shudder, consider spending the night in Giddings to make it a little easier. In addition to sharing where we ate and drank in Giddings on a Friday to warm us up for Snow's on Saturday, I've included links to the local motels at the end.
Table of Contents
Where To Eat and Drink
City Meat Market
The historic City Meat Market sits at the intersection of the two highways in downtown Giddings, a block north of the Lee County Courthouse, built in 1899. It was already 2 p.m. when we rolled into Giddings and parked behind the BBQ joint.
After posing with a mural paying homage to the humble meat shop and town, we entered City Meat Market through its side door. It was like stepping back in time. The interior looked decades old, representing a fraction of the market's 80-year history.
Pictures of Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson hung above a table, and photos from rodeos were signed by those who participated. A framed Texas Monthly BBQ Festival poster was from 2011 and advertised the event's second year in Austin. A pressed tin ceiling added further character.
In the early 1950s, pitmaster Orange Holloway Sr. worked here and was known for his sausage-making skills. In 1966, Edward "White" Tomanetz worked there as a butcher, and his 31-year-old wife, Tootsie Tomanetz, helped out around the shop. Over ten years, she learned to work the meat counter and cook on the same pits used today.
When the owner of City Meat Market in Giddings bought another shop in Lexington, where Tootsie grew up on a farm, the young couple was tapped to run it. A year later, they purchased the meat market and barbecued whatever wasn't sold during the week on Saturdays. The opportunity to cook for Snow's BBQ came in March 2003.
We turned to our right and were greeted by the affable Brooke. She told us her family bought City Meat Market 30 years ago, and she'd worked there since she was 13. A small blackboard menu hung on the wall, listing brisket, chicken, pork, pork chops, ribs, sausage, and steaks.
Fatty Brisket and Sausage
Kel and I ordered a quarter pound of the fatty brisket, a sausage link, and potato salad. It was served with barbecue sauce and a few slices of white bread on butcher paper (which we carried to a nearby table).
The brisket was super moist, so the BBQ sauce wasn't necessary. We both appreciated the sausage, which had a rougher consistency to the ground meat inside and tasted homemade.
The crispy skin offered a nice crunch. City Meat Market doesn't offer desserts, but I have a solution, and it's only a few steps away.101 W Austin St, Giddings, TX, Instagram
Reba's Emporium
Walk out the front door of City Meat Market and hang a right to find Reba's Emporium inside Reba's restaurant at the west end of the same block in downtown Giddings. You'll have your pick of sweet treats, including Blue Bell ice cream, milkshakes, homemade cookies, fudge, and pies by the slice.
The young woman behind the counter was happy to slice off fudge samples for me to taste: white peppermint cheesecake, Christmas mousse, and mint chocolate swirl (my pick). Kel bought us slices of chess and silk pies for later, the latter on sale for $1. If you want a full meal at Reba's restaurant, the menu features soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza. 185 W Austin St, Giddings, TX, Tripadvisor
Sixth Street Spirits Tasting Room
After lunch and shopping for sweets, we turned right and walked a half-block up North Burleson Street to Sixth Street Spirits (labeled Dime Box Distillery Tasting Room on Google Maps). I'd seen this craft distillery featured on The Daytripper (S4 E6), a PBS show that is my favorite way to learn about small-town Texas.
The distillery, founded by Michael Leidel in 2012, offers a variety of bourbons, rye whiskeys, vodka, and sotols. Each liquor is packaged in a distinctive guitar-shaped bottle. The larger 750ml sizes come with a metal guitar pick around the necks, which is a nice detail.
Inside, the bartenders promptly greeted us, and we saddled up to the bar. I was offered a complimentary spirit tasting. The first pour was a 4-year-old bourbon (100 proof) so strong that I let out an audible gasp after the tiniest sip.
As instructed, I added three drops of distilled water before the second pour to open it up. It didn't make a difference, but I carried on.
The remainder of the spirits included a 6-year bourbon (100 proof), Vodka and Rye (80 proof), and Rock and Rye (70 proof). To better enjoy the vodka, we ordered it in a Cosmopolitan.
The Rock and Rye, with its lower alcohol content and mix of rye whiskey, rock candy, citrus, and spices, was the only one I could appreciate straight. One of the bartenders suggested it's good in eggnog, and I was sold on a small 100ml bottle (about $8).
Sixth Street Spirits also produces Watercross Cristalino Sotol and the award-winning Watercross Golden Sotol, perfect for margaritas and ranch waters. The tasting room offers a cocktail menu highlighting the distillery's spirits in mixed drinks.
Special-edition liquors available during our visit included strawberry brandy, peach nectarine brandy, and ultra-small-batch Luke single malt whisky and Luke rum. 235 W Railroad Row, Giddings, TX, sixthstreetspirits.com
Related: Touring Jack Daniel's in Tennessee
Giddings Brewhaus
If cocktails aren't your jam or you're looking for a cool place to catch a game on TV, check out the Giddings Brewhaus next door. The main room features high ceilings, plenty of tables, and a long bar with windows into the brewhouse.
Various beers are brewed in-house, including Zoch Bock, a traditional German Dunkel Bock (4.4% ABV), Winter Warmer Brown Ale (7.5% ABV), and El Hefe (6.3% ABV), a German weiss beer. A few domestic beers, non-alcoholic options, and an Austin Eastciders blackberry cider are also available.
Soon after sitting at the bar, one of the bartenders asked if I'd like to sample anything. I tried the Schneider (an American lager), Winter Warmer, and Cash Stout (an oatmeal stout), but wasn't in love with any. And I didn't want to make it any more challenging than it would be to wake up at 4 a.m. to drive to Snow's BBQ the next day.
We also got a soft pretzel with beer cheese, which was quite tasty. I can't comment on the rest of the brewpub's food menu, mainly burgers, wings, pizza, fried shrimp, and catfish. 199 N Burleson St, Giddings, TX, giddingsbrewhaus.com
After we finished at the brewery, Kel and I checked into our roadside motel for the night. Given our late lunch on Friday and our plans to eat Texas barbecue for breakfast on Saturday morning, we were both fine skipping dinner. Instead, we stayed in, watched movies, and went to bed early.
To see the restaurants and bars I've mentioned so far, check out The Daytripper's episode for Giddings, TX:
More Restaurants in Giddings, TX
Additionally, while scouring Giddings for restaurants, I came across the following places, which have primarily positive reviews on Google Maps:
- Lost Pines BBQ
- Santa Fe Steakhouse
- Los Patrones Mexican Grill
- Chelis Mexican Food
- Taqueria Chihuahua
- Hoa Son Chinese & Vietnamese Food
Where To Stay
Giddings is a small town, and lodging is mainly in roadside motels. Prices range from about $75 to $150 a night. We settled on the Super 8, which cost about $100.
- Super 8 by Wyndham Giddings - our pick, about two miles east of City Meat Market and a 20-minute drive from Snow's BBQ in Lexington. The room was basic but clean, and everything worked properly. We could hear noise from U.S. 290, but it didn't affect my ability to sleep.
- Best Western Giddings Inn & Suites is the most substantial hotel in Giddings and the costliest option.
- Budget Inn Giddings by Mukhi Hotels
