Eventually my plan is to visit all the famous BBQ joints in Texas. So far I have been to Tejas Chocolate and BBQ in Tomball and Smitty's, Black's and Kreuz's in Lockhart. I've written up reviews on them for The Pit and if anyone is interested I'm sure you can find them.
Today my family and I finally made it to Louie Mueller's in Taylor which is just outside Austin.
It was a last minute idea to drive over from Houston so we got there around 1:45. We got a half pound of the brisket (moist), the last three spare ribs they had, two links of their mild sausage, and some slaw. For drinks my wife had tea, my daughter got a Mexican Coke and I got a root beer from the Dublin bottling plant which is kinda famous here in Texas.
Ambiance: It is perfect. You open up the screen door and walk into a large room with some tables. There are coolers for you to grab your drinks out of as you head to the counter to order. The pits are right behind the counter and everything is covered with smoke. You can tell how long the business cards pinned to the cork board have been there by how brown they have turned with the smoke from the pits. Needless to say to smells amazing in there. It was warm, this part of the building isn't air conditioned. If you want you can go into the next room through a side door and eat in a cooler and less smoky environment but what's the fun in that.
The food: The brisket was amazing. You can't tell from the pics but it was so juicy. Very traditional Central Texas seasoning of what seemed just salt and pepper but it was perfectly balanced and really let the beef shine. It had great bark. For me it's a toss up between Tejas and here for the best commercial brisket I've ever had.
The ribs were perfectly cooked. Not falling off the bone but the meat came of cleanly. Again it was seasoned with a light touch but well-balanced and let the meat be the main star. They did have some sauces on the table ( a rarity in the old central Texas classic BBQ joints) but neither the ribs nor the brisket needed any.
The sausage was awesome. If anything has disappointed me as we have visited these places it's been the sausage. One tased like sawdust and we tossed the rest of the link uneaten. Most have been bland or dry if not both. The sausage here was great. It had a nice grind, good flavor with some heat to it which was especially surprising for the mild. It was so juicy when I sliced into it for the first time juice shot a good 6 to 8 inches into the air.
The coleslaw was more vinegar based and had a nice tanginess which offset the heaviness of the meat well.
Overall: This might be my favorite so far. Of the places I went to in Lockhart there was something special about all of them but each place always had something that wasn't done that well (the beef clod and sausage at Kruez's, the brisket at Black's). Louis Mueller's and Tejas are the only places where everything was excellent. And you can't beat the feel of walking into Louis Mueller's. It is like walking onto a film set of how a BBQ place should look. And finally the service was the best. When you walk up to the counter they give you some brisket to try. And after we ate I started chatting about the pits with one of the women behind the counter. Turns out she is the GM and we talked BBQ until my wife and daughter let me know it was time to go. It was a great place. If you are ever in the area make sure you stop. You won't be disappointed.
Today my family and I finally made it to Louie Mueller's in Taylor which is just outside Austin.
It was a last minute idea to drive over from Houston so we got there around 1:45. We got a half pound of the brisket (moist), the last three spare ribs they had, two links of their mild sausage, and some slaw. For drinks my wife had tea, my daughter got a Mexican Coke and I got a root beer from the Dublin bottling plant which is kinda famous here in Texas.
Ambiance: It is perfect. You open up the screen door and walk into a large room with some tables. There are coolers for you to grab your drinks out of as you head to the counter to order. The pits are right behind the counter and everything is covered with smoke. You can tell how long the business cards pinned to the cork board have been there by how brown they have turned with the smoke from the pits. Needless to say to smells amazing in there. It was warm, this part of the building isn't air conditioned. If you want you can go into the next room through a side door and eat in a cooler and less smoky environment but what's the fun in that.
The food: The brisket was amazing. You can't tell from the pics but it was so juicy. Very traditional Central Texas seasoning of what seemed just salt and pepper but it was perfectly balanced and really let the beef shine. It had great bark. For me it's a toss up between Tejas and here for the best commercial brisket I've ever had.
The ribs were perfectly cooked. Not falling off the bone but the meat came of cleanly. Again it was seasoned with a light touch but well-balanced and let the meat be the main star. They did have some sauces on the table ( a rarity in the old central Texas classic BBQ joints) but neither the ribs nor the brisket needed any.
The sausage was awesome. If anything has disappointed me as we have visited these places it's been the sausage. One tased like sawdust and we tossed the rest of the link uneaten. Most have been bland or dry if not both. The sausage here was great. It had a nice grind, good flavor with some heat to it which was especially surprising for the mild. It was so juicy when I sliced into it for the first time juice shot a good 6 to 8 inches into the air.
The coleslaw was more vinegar based and had a nice tanginess which offset the heaviness of the meat well.
Overall: This might be my favorite so far. Of the places I went to in Lockhart there was something special about all of them but each place always had something that wasn't done that well (the beef clod and sausage at Kruez's, the brisket at Black's). Louis Mueller's and Tejas are the only places where everything was excellent. And you can't beat the feel of walking into Louis Mueller's. It is like walking onto a film set of how a BBQ place should look. And finally the service was the best. When you walk up to the counter they give you some brisket to try. And after we ate I started chatting about the pits with one of the women behind the counter. Turns out she is the GM and we talked BBQ until my wife and daughter let me know it was time to go. It was a great place. If you are ever in the area make sure you stop. You won't be disappointed.
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