A few years ago, Houston native Travis Cook was traveling through Greenville, South Carolina for work and stopped at the flagship Bacon Bros. Public House for a bite to eat. Thanks to regular business trips, he got to know chef Anthony Gray and restaurateurs Jason Callaway, Eric Bergelson and Mike Porter, all while falling in love with the restaurant’s farm-to-table cuisine, attention to detail and house-cured meats.

When discussions of expansion beyond Greenville gained traction, Cook was first to swap status from customer to operating partner, joining forces with chef de cuisine Joseph Zerwas. The team opened a location in Sugar Land kitchen last month located within the Sugar Land Town Square retail, dining and social space development.

Dishes at Bacon Bros. integrate local influences, ingredients and seasonality, while keeping true to the original location’s essential bites. Despite the name, it’s not all just bacon. Cook says he and Zerwas have developed relationships with numerous local growers, and a range of collaborations in the works.

The large Bacon Bros space features a relaxed blue and white palette. Chic-rustic elements of exposed wood, brick, handmade wooden tables and light fixtures made from chicken feeders lend a country vibe. A South Carolina artist was commissioned to paint all of the farm-theme pieces. Antiques pepper the nooks and crannies for a personal touch. Seating options range from an intimate curved wooden bar area to booths, tables, and private dining room. We were invited to settle into the comfortable surroundings and try several of the menu items.

The Potater Tots, spiked with pork shoulder and sharp cheddar cheese, is an excellent starter. These are the grown-up answer to tater tot cravings thanks to the addition of sweet and tangy sorghum vinegar and hot-sauced fried pig ears ($10).

Another must-try appetizer is the Pimento Cheese Jar. Roasted pimento peppers are folded into rich cheddar cheese and set beneath a blanket of thick, crunchy-chewy sweet and sinful bacon jam made from coffee, bourbon and apple cider vinegar; the snack comes with saltine crackers prepared in-house and though the crackers at first appear too thin to handle the heavy dip, have no fear—they do ($8).

For the Devil’s Dust Eggs, a traditional filling is topped with tasso ham, pickled mustard seeds and shake of spicy seasoning made from Carolina Reaper peppers, the hottest pepper in the world ($1.00 each).

After snacks, move on to the B.E.T., a generously sized sandwich stuffed with pork belly pastrami, Swiss cheese, peppery arugula, fresh tomato, and a green peppercorn mayonnaise. The whole thing is crowned with a fried duck egg from Three Sisters Farm in Tomball ($15).

Hungry diners won’t want to miss gems like the Three Sisters Farm Roast Chicken Breast plated over creamy butternut squash alongside Brussels sprouts, pecans, sliced fennel, and an orange-tarragon reduction ($18) or the Coffee Crusted Pork Loin Chop layered with flavors and textures thanks to silky whipped sorghum sweet potatoes, sautéed kale, spunky cider-braised apples, browned sage butter and crispy curls of fried sweet potato.

Seafood seekers who order a bowl of Wild Shrimp & Grits will dig into a mound of spicy chicken andouille sausage, tender shrimp, al dente okra, smoky tomatoes, and neck bone turkey gravy smothering Anson Mills grits made from heirloom corn ($25).

Do not skip a side of Lone Star battered Onion Rings served with sorghum ketchup; the thickly sliced rings are cooked until sweet and super crunchy and piled high for the picking ($4). Squash thirst along the way with an almost exclusively Texas-sourced beer list plus classic cocktails and a large selection of wines available by glass and bottle.

For dessert, answer the call of scratch made Banana Pudding served in a sweet little glass jar encircled with Nilla Wafers, bites of which recall Sunday potlucks in every church in the South.

Though farm-to-table concepts have gained a lot of press in recent years, Bacon Bros. manages to retain a fresh approach in regard to preparation and flavors, ensuring a dining experience that will stand out amongst the crowd, particularly in the suburb of Sugar Land. Choosing this specific location was intentional, says Cook, who explains that “Houston proper” has an array of like-minded restaurants and the Bacon Bros. team wanted to give local residents a quality dining option that didn’t require a 20-mile drive. That said, Inner Loopers should take note, as the food is worth the drive out. The restaurant recently launched a Sunday and Saturday brunch which means traffic should, in theory, be in your favor. Besides, once inside the homey and welcoming space it’s hard to leave s0 making a day of it isn’t a far-fetched idea anyway.

Ellie Sharp