Celebrating Easter with Texas BBQ and Timeless Family Traditions

Easter, for as long as I can remember, has been something we anticipated for weeks to arrive with the first hint of spring. Growing up in the South, the air was still cool, but you could feel summer waiting just around the corner. Our home would slowly transform as plans were made, menus discussed, and small traditions carefully carried out. Fresh flowers always found their way to the table, nothing overly fancy, but always arranged beautifully. We usually picked hydrangeas from the yard, or roses from Mama’s flowers that were scattered everywhere; I still do that today. The preparation itself was part of the celebration: days spent cooking, gathering ingredients, and making sure every detail, from the Easter baskets to the meal, was meaningful and complete.

The food was never about perfection or formality, but about us being together and celebrating spring, Easter’s meaning and that transition from winter to the growing season in our vegetable garden. Some years it was a beautiful ham at the center of the table; other years it might be fried shrimp or oysters, or even something simple and joyful brought in from a favorite restaurant or The Café, which we owned-enchiladas, fried chicken, pot roast, lasagna, pork chops or steak. It didn’t matter what we served, what mattered was that it was chosen with care and shared. There were always extra desserts, always more than enough for everyone, and always laughter. Even now, that same spirit carries forward, with careful planning and that familiar sense of excitement that begins long before Easter Sunday arrives.

Today, our celebrations feel like a continuation of those early memories, just with a slightly different view, outside by the water, under the breezeway, gathered around long tables as a baseball game plays in the background. We can’t wait! 

This year, we ordered barbecue and some desserts from Pennies Tex-Mex Take-Out in Galveston. It’s authentic Tex Mex cuisine at its best and just can’t be beat! It is a family owned and operated business that brings the finest blend of Texas Hill Country Style and Mexican barbecue (Barbacoa) to Galveston Island. Their business is named after their grandmother Mrs. Pennie, “who has the coveted recipe for the best and most authentic tamale you will find in Texas, and are able to perfect them with each dozen.” Their barbecue is made with their own original rub, smoking it right on location with nothing but wood.

Their brisket, ribs and barbacoa is luscious, cooked low and slow, perfectly done right, every time. When you are two to three blocks away, the smell calls you there for a big dinner to go, like ours, or a sandwich, or the most delicious tamales on the planet.

The shop is small, but packed with decadent aromas of smoked meat, tamales, pinto beans and a hint of fresh bananas from the indescribably best banana trifle pudding you’ve ever laid teeth into.

But wait, there’s more, the Pecan Bars melt in your mouth, every bite crunchy, gooey and indescribably decadent. This family owned and operated business has become our go-to for holidays and everyday meals. They are lovely and kind, taking food to your car with a smile and a promise of mouthwatering and appetizing scrumptiousness, till next time. We highly recommend this hidden jewel.

They won’t let you down! They have the best Texas BBQ on the planet! They are in the heart of Galveston, 1713 37^th Street, open Thursday through Sunday. Their menu makes me want everything on it!

Getting our bevy of goodness home, we put it out on long tables as everyone inhales, digging in, a feast to behold. The barbecue is the stunning showpiece, we’ll have leftovers, halleluiah! We linger over Easter lunch, relaxing, enjoying the fine spring day, water life, and piping birds, then on to Easter baskets and hunting for that elusive golden egg. Adults and children alike race in the hunt, eggs stuffed with money and candy, a tradition that still brings the same kind of wonder and joy it did when I was a child. It is, at its heart, both a meaningful and religious day for us, a time to give thanks to God for our many blessings. 

We all wander out into the garden, noticing what we’ve planted for spring, tomatoes, squash, and peppers. All of it alongside lingering fall crops like carrots, shallots, and fragrant herbs: chocolate mint, oregano, lavender, rosemary, chives, and even catnip for Marilyn. A family member brought a delicate Japanese Iris that captured all of us with its singular beauty.

Easter remains sacred and special, a day filled with gratitude, family, and the enduring magic of tradition. From our family to yours, Happy Easter, with love.