If you are looking for a crowdpleaser for sides for your grilling and smoking, here are a couple of ideas:
Beans. If you are making beans, put your beans on the smoker when you are doing your ribs and put the pan under your ribs. 5 hours of those glorious juices and spices falling into your beans = pure heaven.
Home made french fries. I've been working for a couple of years to perfect the french fry that supplements my BBQ. Here is what I do, and it is a sure hit with family and friends. People come running when they hear I am making my fries. They are that good. (and really simple to do.)
1. Buy a good deep fryer. One that you get at Bass Pro Shops.
Something like this.
2. Use peanut oil.
3. Cut your fries in whatever size you want. I use a Mandoline to slice mine, which makes them all uniform. Plus it's quicker when you have to make fries for 40 people.
4. You are going to fry these twice. For the first drop, heat your oil to 260 and drop your fries for 10 minutes. When done, dump into a pan with paper towels and let them cool off. I'm usually doing fries for a lot of people, so I may have 5-6 batches of these.
5. Once you are done with the first drops of 260 and after the fries are cool, heat up your oil to 350-375.
6. Fry until done - usually 10 minutes or so.
7. Remove, and while they are still wet use Lawry's or any kind of seasoning that you like.
8. Enjoy the most delicious fries you have ever made.