In eastern Bell County, Green’s Sausage House is a veritable institution. Located in the small community of Zabcikville (on Texas 53, thirteen miles east of Temple), the local eatery and market has served visitors from across the state since 1946. The restaurant, bakery, and meat market highlight Green’s Czech roots, a heritage that runs deep throughout the county.
The history of Zabcikville and Green’s Sausage House are closely linked. In 1923, Frank Zabcik bought the only saloon and general store in town and tied his name to the community. After the construction of Texas highway 53 in 1932, Zabcik built a service station and café. Jerome and Della Green began managing the café in 1946. Once Mr. Green began making sausage from a Czech family recipe, the café’s reputation quickly spread.
The popularity of Jerome’s traditional Czech sausage would come as no surprise to residents of eastern Bell County, many of whom boast Czech heritage. Beginning in the late 1800s, Czech farming families were attracted to the rich, loamy soil of the region’s blackland prairie. Over time, immigration through the port of Galveston solidified Czech populations in Central Texas. That heritage can still be seen in the Temple SPJST Home Office, the Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center, and Green’s Sausage House.
Both the café and market offer an enormous array of mouth-watering options. Upon entering the expansive ranch-style building, visitors are greeted by a meat market that rivals any in the state. It features forty-four items, including braunschweiger and knackwurst sausage, smoked jowl bacon, scrapple, and smoked hocks, along with more traditional fare such as smoked turkeys and hams. (On a personal note, my wife and I purchased our first Thanksgiving turkey from Green’s Sausage House several years ago, and a new family tradition was born after the first bite.) When you visit, friendly employees are always eager to help you find the best selection for any occasion.
The bakery and grocery at Green’s have all the additional fixings you need for a true Texan dinner. Green’s freshly baked bread, fifteen varieties of fruit kolaches, nine options for meat-filled kolaches, and a wide assortment of cheeses keep the customers rolling into this rural eatery.
If you’re a first-time customer, don’t fill up on kolaches before visiting the café for a famous Green’s sausage burger. Visitors come in droves for the sausage burger. The smoked sausage patty, served on a fresh bun with mustard and all the fixings, is a delicious combination of flavors. Rumor has it that a cold Shiner Bock is the perfect complement for this unique burger.
Locals and out-of-towners alike enjoy the laid-back, homey atmosphere of Green’s restaurant. The ten-table dining room and neon beer sign hanging on the wall bring home this truly Texan dining and grocery experience. The history of this eastern Bell County eatery is authentic; its traditions and the food are as genuine as the people.
