This means keeping the barbecue plates but offering a second menu with items like catfish tacos and refreshments like white peach sangria.

The menu is not the only thing with a new look. The interior and exterior of the restaurant have received gradual facelifts over the year. The McClures have also added a back patio with a TV, four two top tables under a cover and a high shelf bar for those who want to stand and mingle.

“We’re still eclectic and funky, but slightly more upscale,” McClure said of the subtle but impactful changes she’s made to the almost decade old restaurant.

Sarah said she attempted to make her escape from food and beverages – the family profession. She got her bachelors degree at Wofford and began work on a master’s degree in art history at the University of Georgia before economic realities pulled her into the kitchen.

She started working at a restaurant in Athens and on a whim applied for The National, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant recognized by Food & Wine magazine in 2012.

She said while there she was taught to love food again. At the National there was a new menu every day of at least 30 items, including five to seven entrees. She said all of them had a bit of a Southern bent to them; the obvious influence of the restaurants southern college town environment. She said what the restaurant also focused on though was fresh and local. Sarah said she hopes to slowly incorporate that effort at Southside as well. Customer services is key as well Sarah said.

She said her regulars already know to call in and see if she can accommodate certain requests and needs – gluten free, vegetarian, etc.

“In a small market like this you really do have to do that because everything is word of mouth,” she said. “You have to find people who care about the whole concept, not just a particular meal.”

Southside Smokehouse is located at 726 S Howard Ave, Landrum.