Louie Mueller BBQ Taylor, TX

Louie Mueller BBQ opened in 1949 and as you walk into this place you are walking on hallowed Texas barbecue ground.  The soot stained walls and the smell of wood and meat fills the air. This place has borne three generations of Muellers who have influenced and continue to influence barbecue in the Taylor and Austin area.  Louie started the place and I discovered later after visiting the first time he was a cousin of Oscar Lindemann, my grandfather, and my two great uncles Charles and Marcus Lindemann.  This explains my uncle Charles' sauce being so similar to Mueller's sauce (Louie must have shared his recipe).
Louie's son Bobby took it over and after Bobby's passing Wayne Mueller (grandson) currently is the owner and pitmaster.  Bobby's other son John has run a number of places of his own and was featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations.  The Mueller family has influenced or created such barbecue joints like: JMueller BBQ (closed), La Barbecue, John Mueller Meat Co., and Stiles Switch BBQ. The last three places are on my "To Do List".  I will include links at the bottom of this post to these three in particular and include some pictures of my visit to JMueller BBQ when it was opened on South First Street (I believe La Barbecue has taken over this place if not using his old BBQ trailer). Louie Mueller Barbecue is the second stop after Snow's in Lexington on the northern leg of the Texas barbecue trail followed by Southside Market in Elgin, Smitty's, Black's, Kreuz Market, and Chisholm Trail in Lockhart, City Market in Luling, and I like to also include Gonzales Meat Market in Gonzales.

The line

So onto my "opinion" of Louie Mueller Barbecue, I didn't even really know about this place until my boss told me about it so I had to try it.  The place is a bit famous in it's own right but it has also been featured in Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Travel Channel.  So my buddy Reu and I got there about 1 PM after already hitting Southside Market in Elgin about 30 minutes earlier.  We were probably about 40 people back in line and thankfully it took about an hour and a half to get to the counter which allowed us and our stomachs to be ready after just eating at Southside Market.  We finally got to the counter and before we could order the pitmaster placed a burnt end on each of our trays lined with butcher paper.  I popped it in my mouth and it was nirvana, I has to pause before placing my order!  I proceeded to order my ribs, brisket, and sausage so how was it you ask?

First visit

Second visit

The brisket was delicious, salt and pepper rub with perfect fat rendering, the sausage was tasty but had a course grind that fell out of the casing when cutting into it, but the ribs were amazing.  Great "aldente' firm to the bite with the meat easily coming off the bone. I highly recommend this place and have already been back.

Guy Fieri likes it!

Louie Mueller Barbecue
206 W. 2nd St. Taylor, TX
512-352-6206
M-F 11 AM - 6 PM
Sat 10 AM - 6 PM
Sun Closed
Website:
http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com/

A footnote about John Mueller

John is kind of known as the "bad boy" of Austin barbecue.  He knows his stuff and he and his places pop up and disappear here and there but when he gets his hands on a place the barbecue is gold.  I've been to JMueller on South 1st St. that again I believe is now La Barbecue and have included some pictures of my visit below as well as some links to other Mueller family influenced BBQ joints.

2/3 of the Holy Trinity (Out of Ribs)

Aaron Franklin and John Mueller

Line at JMueller

Ordering Truck at JMueller

My Austin Barbecue "To Do List" ("Opinions Pending")

La Barbecue

http://labarbecue.com/

John Mueller Meat Co.

http://www.johnmuellermeatco.com/

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew

http://www.stilesswitchbbq.com/

Schmidt Family Barbecue (Lockhart Schmidts)

Opens October 28th

http://schmidtfamilybarbecue.com/

Next week, Southside Market (Elgin),  and City Market (Luling)

Until then BBQ fans!!

Chisholm Trail (Lockhart), Opie's, and a Trip Back to Franklin Barbecue

Chisholm Trail BAR-B-Q (Lockhart)
Took a quick trip down to Central Texas last weekend to visit a couple of new places to me and to go back to Franklin Barbecue in Austin.
So I started the trip by going to the fourth but lesser known Lockhart BBQ joint, Chisholm Trail BAR-B-Q.  This place is said to be the place where the locals go and those other three, Smitty's, Kreuz, and Black's, are the tourist traps. Well we got there at 12:30 and I ordered my usual, ribs, brisket, and sausage. The brisket was dry, ribs were tough and dry, and the sausage had little flavor.  I really wanted to enjoy this place but I'm sorry it's no better than any BBQ chain you would find in the city. I'm also not the kind of person to complain about the actual facility but this place was a bit of a dump.  Flies were everywhere, restrooms were pretty nasty, and they had one of the dirtiest "wet floor" signs I've ever seen sitting on the floor as you exit the line.  I'm not even going to give this place a second chance when I know I can get great barbecue in Lockhart at one of the three "tourists" traps.

 http://www.chisholmtrailbbq.com/
1323 S Colorado St, Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: 512-398-6027
Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM

Next on to Opie's BBQ in Spicewood

Keira and Leah

Well the next day some of my family in Austin joined me to try out Opie's in Spicewood, TX.  We got there about 12:45 and shortly after arriving ordered off of the serving pit.  I got brisket, jalapeno cheese sausage, and a half rack of habanero ribs. I also got some sides, spicy corn (kind of like Mexican corn in a cup), coleslaw, and tater-tot casserole (yeah, it's as good as it sounds).  I gave my aunt some of my ribs and we both bit into our ribs at the same time and looked at each other with eyes wide opened.  These are the best ribs I've ever had anywhere.  Cooked perfectly and full of flavor, these ribs were amazing. The brisket was great as well with a simple salt and pepper rub and great fat rendering. The sausage was good too and better than Cooper's in Llano. If you don't want to spend money on sides, pinto beans, bread, and relishes are included with your meat. The facility is large and very clean, a great place to take the family. Opie's may now be my aunt's favorite place.  Sorry Cooper's, you just took the back seat.

Serving pit

Great Brisket

Awesome ribs

Wood pile at Opie's

http://www.opiesbarbecue.com/

Phone: 830-693-8660

9504 HWY 71 Spicewood,TX 78669

Hours:  Mon & Tue 11-4

Wed, Thur, & Sun 11-7

Fri & Sat 11-8

A Quick Trip Back to Franklin Barbecue

Franklin BBQ old sales trailer

Well on my way out of town I stopped by Franklin for another taste of the best barbecue in Texas.  This trip I had my eye on the Tipsy Texan.  A BBQ sandwich consisting of chopped and sauced brisket, sausage, pickles, onions, and topped with coleslaw. I got there at 9 AM and was probably already about 60 people back in line.  I met a young couple on vacation from Chicago who were standing behind me in line and who I joined once we got in and got our food. Once they opened it took us another 30-45 minutes to get up to the chopping block which was manned by the proprietor, Aaron Franklin himself. He's a bit of a BBQ guru and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.  I ordered and he told me I couldn't just order a sandwich after waiting that long for BBQ so he sliced me a piece of brisket which I was thankful.  It was all excellent but next time I'm just going back for the brisket.  It literally is a cut above any other brisket in the state, it bites you back and makes you pause for a minute. Mouth watering.

The line

Still a little longer

The guru, Aaron Franklin

Tipsy Texan with a side of brisket

See ya next week ya'll!!

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Llano

Llano, TX
Cooper's is located in Llano, TX and is the first of three locations, another location is in the Fort Worth Stockyards, and the third location in in New Braunfels, TX. Cooper's was pretty much the first to coin the term  "Hill Country" barbecue. Hard 8 and Opie's are some other joints that have joined this niche in past years.  I've been to Cooper's about three to four times in the past three years.  It's one of my favorite places not just for the barbecue but also for the drive.

Spring wildflowers outside of Goldthwaite

The Drive
If you're coming from the north especially DFW area I suggested taking the back roads through Cleburne and San Saba.  If you're coming from the south, Austin area, take Highway 71. If you're coming from the west (Georgetown) take Highway 29.  The drive is part of the experience, it's beautiful and no matter what direction you're coming from it's worth it.

Serving Pit

Cooper's has pretty much set the standard of what "Hill Country" barbecue is.  The cooking process is the same but what makes it a bit different is how they serve it.  You start at the serving pit and order right off of it.  You point and the pit master cuts or pierces what ever your heart desires.  You then take your tray inside and hand your'e tray to the guy behind the counter and he slices it up and weighs it for you. You pick your sides from refrigeration cases but hold on a minute "podnah".  Don't be too quick to buy sides.  Located on both sides of the dining room are drink stations that have complimentary pinto beans, sauce, and relishes.  So you can get by without really any sides.  Complimentary sliced bread and butter is also located on each table as well. The dining room is fitted with Hofbrauhaus style seating so cozy up to your neighbor and start enjoying some great barbecue.

Prime Rib

Rib, brisket, sausage

Cooper's is known for their "Big Chop" which is a big pork chop.  I haven't had it myself but will say they offer a variety of cuts of meat other than straight BBQ for example prime rib.  I of course  had their ribs, sausage, brisket, and recently prime rib. The ribs are really good with a salt & pepper rub and the brisket is top notch.  The sausage is alright but is of grocery store quality and you can tell it's not made on location. Something to mention about Cooper's barbecuing process is the use charcoal to fire their pits and they make the charcoal on-site. Cooper's is worth the drive and worth the wait, so go try it out!

Wood pile

Charcoal "Ovens"

Me and the Group

Cooper's Old-Time BBQ

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 AM - 8 PM

Friday-Saturday 11 AM - 9 PM

604 W. Young St. Llano, TX 78643

Phone 325-247-5713

http://www.coopersbbqllano.com

I'm heading to Austin tomorrow and might enjoy some live music, second weekend of ACL, but will definitely be enjoying some BBQ. I have Chisholm Trail in Lockhart, Opie's in Spicewood, and Franklin BBQ in Austin on my barbecue radar. I will report back my findings next week!

Keira just enjoyed the bread & butter

The line - it moves fast

Lockhart Part II - Kreuz Market and Black's Barbecue

Kreuz Market

We continue our tour of Lockhart at Kreuz Market.  Pronounced "Krites", Kreuz Market is the rival of Smitty's Market and it located across the highway and is easily accessible if you are coming from Austin it will be on your right, before you enter Lockhart.

Smokehouse or "pit" room where you order you meat

The facility is divided into two different dining rooms.  The pit dining room which is the one you walk into from the outside and the "market" dining room where you get your side items and beverages. If you choose to get "smoked" yourself then sit in the pit dining room.  That's what we did, but if not hit the other dining room. In the same tradition of Smitty's, Kreuz has no forks and no sauce (I mean no sauce at all).

Windows to the "market" dining room

Alright so you order your meat at the pit counter and then go into the market side to order your sides and beverages.  I ordered ribs, jalapeno cheese sausage, and brisket.  They give you bread or crackers or both when you order your meat.  The sides offered: beans, slaw, mac and cheese, green beans, cheddar, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos (fresh or canned), (here is where it gets unique), German potatoes, and sauerkraut.
OK...the sauerkraut, they make it on site and it is ridiculously good.  It could be my German heritage but this stuff is the best I've ever had and it goes great with the barbecue, it's sour with a hit of sweet.

The line in the pit dining room

The barbecue is fantastic, ribs cooked just right as well as the brisket and both with just a simple salt and pepper rub.  The jalapeno cheese sausage is great, a bit greasy but very flavorful with a snappy natural casing. If you're in Lockhart you have to pay them a visit.

Mom, Dad, and the aftermath

Our pile 'o meat

Wood supply at Kreuz

Hours and Location:

619 N. Colorado St.
Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: 512-398-2361
Mon-Sat 10:30 AM - 8:30 PM
Closed on Sunday

http://kreuzmarket.com/




Black's Barbecue

Line outside

As their motto goes: "Take Me Back to Blacks" and I have been back.  Black's was my first place to go to in Lockhart about four years ago and it's the most recent place I've been to in Lockhart so about a three year spread between visits.
Black's is the longest running barbecue restaurant owned by the same family.You will find Black's just off the town square but they have multiple billboards off of the highway so it isn't hard to find.
Before going the first time my Uncle Ron who lives in Austin says it's hit favorite place in Lockhart so my aunt, cousin, and cousin's daughter hopped in the SUV and headed to Lockhart. As you walk in you grab a tray and grab your sides.  They have a steam table for the hot sides and a cold table for the cold sides.  You order your meat as you come to the register and then go find a table. Black's does serve sauce and has forks.

Some of the group

Now we got there early so I figured the BBQ should be "on".  I ordered ribs, brisket, and sausage.  The ribs were good and sausage was OK but I was disappointed in the brisket, it was a bit dry. So I wasn't that impressed. However, I went back three years later after already hitting City Market in Luling, TX and Gonzales Meat Market in Gonzales, TX that day to give Black's another try and I'm glad I did. So ribs, brisket, and sausage again and a little mac and cheese. I'm just going to talk about the brisket.  It was crazy good! Moist with fat caramelized between the smoke ring and bark. It was meat candy and it goes to show barbecue can be fickle so give a BBQ joint more than just one chance.

Amazing brisket

Open 7 days a week 10 AM - 8 PM
Pit Tours available
Phone 512-398-2712

http://www.blacksbbq.com/








I haven't forgotten about Chisholm Trail BBQ, the fourth BBQ restaurant in Lockhart, just haven't been there yet but plan to hit it up next month when I'm in the Austin area.  I'm also going to Opie's BBQ in Spicewood, TX as well as going back to Franklin Barbecue in Austin.

Next week: Cooper's in Llano